The Wall Street Journal asked six commentators to write about “what sort of leader the next pope should be.” From Peggy Noonan: “The next pope should be a man who can greet the world with a look of pleasure on his face, with a smile of joy. He should not come forward with the sad, bent posture of one who knows the world is in ruins and only the facades remain. He should be joyous anyway.” (March 9-10; C1)
The pope aside, how will you greet the world today? “Joyous anyway?” We Christians often assume that we should be joyous in spite of our troubles. In fact, the Bible teaches us to be joyful because of our troubles, not in spite of them. James 1:2 – “Count it all joy when you meet trials of various kinds.” 1 Peter 1:6-7 – “Rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials.” God told Paul in 2 Corinthians 11:9, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.” Read around in those and other passages and you’ll understand Oswald Chambers summary: “The saint never knows the joy of the Lord in spite of tribulation, but because of it.”
The reason? It’s in the troubles of life that God draws us to utter dependence upon Himself. Joy in spite of troubles denies the wholeness of your life under God. Joy because of trouble is faith trusting God to keep His promises. “When the cares of my heart are many, Your consolations cheer my soul.” (Psalm 94:19) Your deliverance is the reason you can meet the world today with joy, but who wipes the smile off your face? It’s not God, not someone else, it’s…
Comments