When I think about the Christmas story, I often dream about what I would have thought if I’d been there — back in Bible times, wearing the funky sandals and shawls, probably sporting a pink cloak. Which Christmas story character would I have been most like?
Most of the time, I don’t get very far because I can’t get past seeing myself somewhere out in the sand trying to survive without my iPhone and lipstick.
Honestly, it seems like the people in the Bible went through a substantial amount of suffering. Noah slaved over building an arc in the heat of the desert and was called a lunatic. Ruth plowed in the fields all day only to come home and take care of her mother-in-law. Paul was beaten, tortured and thrown in prison. And Mary? Poor Mary … She was supernaturally impregnated before she even got to experience a wedding night!
How in the world did these people find joy in the midst of all their suffering?
1. He Came to a World of Suffering
The world wasn’t in great shape when God sent Jesus to Earth. Rulers were evil. Laws were harsh. People were mean. God’s people must have felt abandoned. I think about the suffering that Mary, Joseph, and the others went through to witness this tiny infant’s entrance into the world.
Think about the scuffles Mary and Joseph probably got into. Mary was probably extra-emotional, with all her holy hormones going crazy, and Joseph probably felt extra pressure now that he was going to have to provide for not only a wife, but also a baby — and not just any baby — the King of the Jews. The others traveled by foot across great distances to see Jesus, which is enough to make anyone crazy.
Yet, despite the overwhelming circumstances that each of these people faced, something inside each of them changed because of their response to trouble.
In Luke 1: 46-47, Mary chooses to praise God in spite of her uncertain future and “unplanned pregnancy.” She said, “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior” (NIV).
2. He Left a World That Was Still Suffering
When Jesus rose and left the earth, his followers could have felt abandoned all over again. They were left to face all of Jesus’ enemies, probably fearing persecution and even death. Jesus told them that they were to be the salt of the earth, to reflect his love and light to others. He also told them that he was sending them a helper — the Holy Spirit. Instead of freaking out when Jesus left, the Bible tells us that the disciples were overcome with a powerful sense of peace.
“While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into Heaven. Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God” (Luke 24: 51-53 NIV).
If we never go through trials, there’s no reason to ask God for help. And that’s his deepest desire: for us to need him. He wants us to need him so badly that he allows us to go through painful seasons. He knows that if we turn to him and trust him, we can experience the Joy of the Lord — just like Mary, Joseph, the shepherds and the Magi did.
When we feel like we’re suffering in this world, we must choose to turn to him, and then ask ourselves one vital question.
3. Why Do We Suffer?
When faced with tough circumstances, we have two choices. We can choose to handle the situation by our flesh, trying to control the situation ourselves (through a worldly manner like addiction, codependence, or abandoning our faith), or we can choose to turn to God.
If we choose the first option, it’s like using a painkiller, bringing a temporary peace that helps us return to our happy lives, but only until that medicine wears off. The source of the pain is never treated. If we choose to turn to God, fully engaging in His presence, then the Holy Spirit will bring his comfort and healing. Only then, can we experience true joy.
But why would we choose a road of suffering in the first place? Besides knowing it’s the right thing to do or because our father tells us to (right?), we make this decision out of our own free will. Why do we run marathons? Why do we diet and exercise? Why do we put someone else’s needs ahead of our own?
All of these questions have the same answer: Suffering allows us to experience true joy.
Aside from giving us a new appreciation for the calm after a storm, actually experiencing the storm with all of its ferocity reveals our likeness to Christ. In Hebrews 12: 2, the Bible says, “For the joy set before him, he endured the cross” (NIV). Jesus understood that his suffering would bring forth an unparalleled promise of joy to all men, and that was worth it.
That’s why soldiers join the service. That’s why patients go through chemo. We choose to go through suffering because our hope lies in a deeper and more profound sense of purpose and calling that sometimes surpasses the limits of our human understanding.
As we become more like Christ, our hearts expand their capacity to love, to be loved, to desire, and to live. Jesus enlarges our hearts, so we can feel deeper — both good and bad. With that, we must be willing to reveal the true nature of our souls to him, even our deepest hurts and sorrows. When we do, we become more like him, more noble, more honorable.
Every Advent season, we remember that our joy comes from knowing that Jesus was born, he suffered, and he rose again to make our home in Heaven. This Advent season, I encourage you to reflect on what true joy is. It’s much more substantive than our health and happiness. It’s an eternal promise of glory. And his joy lasts forever.
“You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11 NIV).
CC Photo by Moyan Brenn on Flickr