The Bible clearly states that we are to be ‘Happy for Hardship’. That would seem to say that the Bible is actually asking us to be the opposite of who we are.

It looks like the Bible is telling us we need to do something that is not humanly possible.

 

YES!   It is!  It is telling us to do something we cannot do.

 

   But rejoice as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.

   – 1 Peter 4:13

 

To rejoice in suffering. To be happy for hardship’

The Bible is telling us that the refinement processes we are going to go through, will require us to respond completely antithetical to every way our natural emotions react.

 

There is a famous passage that speaks about how we need to be

thankful in all situations. Wow…Think about that for a second… 

That is the whole point.

Only God, through Christ and His Holy Spirit CAN!

 

   Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

   – Philippians 4:6-7

 

Praise God that we have His power, His strength, His support and His Word to be our foundation. to be the ROCK we can stand on, so we can stand firm through the trials and tribulations we will go through…because we will all go through them.

 

In a country like the U.S., where even the poorest people have more than most people in the world, where our comforts, vices, desires and wants can be provided immediately at request (Or 2 days by Amazon), so many of us forget how our blessings are so great.

 

We can lose the perspective of how great we actually do have it, and instead come to a place where anything negative, anything that is not what we want, anything that disagrees with my plan, thought or feeling becomes a ‘HARDSHIP’.

 

So,

Let us take an honest inventory of what we have (And not isolate on what we DON’T have)

Let us do the next right thing, to live our lives as Christlike as we can.

Let us continue to praise, pray, and peruse the Word as we become closer to KNOWING GOD.

Let us remember that it is GOD’S power that will provide our peace, never ours.

 

  

   Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.