Choosing Joy in Adversity: Trusting The Character of God

We’ve heard it said that joy is not dependent on our circumstances. But when adversity stomps in like an unwanted invader, joy is not the first thing I think of.

I want to get out of my struggle, and I want out – Now!

Choosing joy in times of heart-wrenching adversity feels impossible.

I have come to understand that finding true joy in times of adversity requires me to choose Jesus over everything.

Choosing joy requires me to believe that God is all I need – right now, even in this travesty. That He sees my plight and knows what to do.

Joy comes on the heels of resting and relying on the character of God without hesitation or fear that He will somehow fail me.

When I believe He is my immediate refuge, my ultimate strength, and my sustaining help in navigating ambiguity and overwhelming sadness, joy mysteriously washes over my broken heart, offering me hope.

As the winds of adversity rage around me, I find that joy begins to sprout when I look to God as my hope amid uncertainty.

Though I am often weighed down by the sadness of my situation, joy fills my heart and mind as I trust in who God is.

I don’t know the way to go, but I do know that God is dependable and trustworthy, and His presence will be with me every step of the way.

When I am battle-weary in my fight for joy amid trouble, Isaiah 41:10 gives me the courage to stand firm against adversity’s winds. My circumstances don’t look good or feel hopeful, but He is my joy! And with this realization, He becomes my strength.

Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.

Isaiah 41:10 NLT

Choosing Joy: A raw act of trust:

Choosing to have joy in times of adversity is a raw act of trust. Such joy can only flow from explicitly trusting God’s character and believing that He is enough for whatever I am going through.

Whether we are standing in the middle of a mess created by our own poor choices or holding the splintered shards of our hearts, broken by someone else’s wrongdoing, it is here, right in the midst of our pain and confusion, that God invites us to dwell where He is.

Responding to God’s invitation to come and dwell feels counterintuitive. Shouldn’t I be fixing my mess, seeking retribution, or solving the insurmountable struggle before me?

From the start to finish… in the shattered and broken places, where there seems to be no reprieve, no answers, and nothing we can do to redeem our situation, He invites us to something better than cleaning up our messes, seeking retribution, or trying to solve what is humanly impossible to fix.

Choosing Joy: Responding to God’s invitation:

God is calling us to “Come”… to enter the place where He dwells. A sanctuary of solitude and rest. A place where peace is freely offered to the battered, bruised, and frantic soul.

Here we lean into all that God is. Here we catch a glimpse of God’s character in action as He works on our behalf.

“Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

Matthew 11:28-30 NLT

Come broken.

Come angry.

Come hurting.

Come needy.

Come longing.

Come…

God’s tender yet purposeful invitation draws us into the place where He dwells, the holy place where we can exchange our heavy, unwieldy burden for one much lighter, full of promise and purpose. Full of joy despite hardship!

In our coming, we find a sanctifying place where our brokenness meets the Divine.

Here we see His nail-pierced hands and feet, and through our anger, remorse, and tears, we look into the eyes of a Savior who understands a broken heart better than anyone else.

What would happen if we viewed our current struggle as a path to spiritual growth? How might our perspective shift when we recognize that joy is attainable even in times of adversity?

Practical Ways to Cultivate A Heart of Joy:

Choosing joy is a daily decision to trust God. It requires intentionally resting in God’s character, knowing He knows what is best. He is with me in my time of struggle, and He will lead and guide me in the best ways forward, doing so with His hands of love upon me.

Trusting God is not the absence of pain, but it offers peace and God’s presence in the journey through our brokenness and suffering.

Cultivating a heart of joy during times of adversity requires us to reflect on the character of God… remember His heart of goodness toward us… be mindful of or rehearse His abundant blessings upon those He loves… recall His promises for assurance… and rely on His power so we know that ultimately, when I can’t – He can!

Reflect on who God is:

But you, O Lord, are a God of compassion and mercy, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness. Psalm 86:15 NLT

Remember God’s goodness:

The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. Lamentations 3:22-23 NLT

Rehearse God’s blessings:

May the Lord bless you and protect you. May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord show you his favor and give you his peace. Numbers 6:24-26 NLT

Recall God’s promises:

For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11 NLT

Rely on God’s power:

Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Ephesians 3:20 NLT

Regardless of your circumstances

Will you trust me, rely on me,

Rest in me and lean into me?

In so doing, you will discover…

That I, the LORD your God,

I am your all-sufficiency.

(Praying Life in The Word: A Woman’s Guide to Praying Scripture. P. xxxiii)

 

As the Beloved of God, what would choosing joy today look like to you?

Benediction Prayer:

I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. AMEN

(Scripture benediction taken from Romans 15:13; Praying Life in The Word: A Woman’s Guide to Praying Scripture. p. 170)

 

 

 

Kintsugi is an ancient Japanese art form.

Repairing broken tea ware by reassembling each piece with gold creates a masterpiece that is richer and stronger than its original design.

This restorative process begins by recognizing that each broken or cracked piece is needed to re-create something of exceptional worth. In this accepting act, redemption is birthed. A rich story of beauty through brokenness.

The process of embracing our brokenness allows us to acknowledge our imperfections as needful, as we invite the Master Creator to make us into a new masterpiece.

It is in this yielding that we can experience true healing from God’s hands of mercy and grace.

Watercolor by: Linda Jane Dingeldein