Why Should I Rejoice When I'm Obviously Suffering?

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Countless times when I got in trouble or was faced by a challenge, I found it difficult to share my fears with the people of God.
The reason is not farfetched. It was because I knew they would tell me to rejoice and be thankful in my trials. Whenever I was told to rejoice, I looked at them and just concluded in my heart that they simply didn't know how to help me.

As I grew in Christ, I realized why I needed to actually rejoice in my trials and troubles, yeah really!

Romans 5:3 NLT
"We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance."

After reading that verse, the next question I asked was, "So why do I need to develop endurance, am I an athlete or what? You mean I'm going through all of this to develop endurance? What's the endurance for? I don't even want the endurance!" Literally, that was how I had felt. And I'm sure some people can relate with what I'm saying.

Someone loses a child, you tell her to rejoice because she is developing endurance, to be honest that doesn't make much of meaning to me. With the insurgency going on around the world, how can we rejoice? What does rejoice even mean?

To rejoice means to feel or show great joy or delight. So why would the Bible ask us to show great joy when we are obviously in problems?

Romans 5: 3-5 NLT
"We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because He has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love."

Therein lies the answer. The end of the means is our hope of salvation.
We should rejoice in our trials because what we are going through is to strengthen our confident hope of salvation. This may not really convince you, but be grateful for your trials, because it means you are growing. It means that you're getting to that stage in Christ where you are no longer in Him because of the comfort and good His name can bring to you, but to know Him as your Lord and Savior. A life without challenges is as good as dead. (Even the dead have challenges, you know, having to queue to get their judgements and rewards), how much you, a living soul! James 1: 2-4

While, the problems and trials may be presently overwhelming, I encourage you to rejoice because this hope will not lead to disappointments.
Philippians 4:4 "Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again - rejoice! "
Shalom.


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