Joy in the Midst of Suffering

By: Justin Duran

Dear Eric,

Grace and peace to you in our Lord Christ Jesus. It has been a long time since we last spoke but thank you for sharing your heart and the struggles you’re currently facing. I imagine that the pain you are experiencing is intense, and I am honored that you decided to reach out for guidance. Let me assure you, the Word of God has the wisdom and the power to bring you comfort and joy even in the midst of your suffering.

First, let me remind you of the words of the Apostle Paul, who himself faced many hardships and trials. He wrote in Philippians 4:4-6, “⁴ Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; ⁶ do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.“ I’ll touch more on this section of scripture a little later, but in this verse, we see that our joy is to be found not in our circumstances but in the Lord and is to be anchored in our relationship with Jesus Christ and the eternal hope He provides.

It’s essential to understand the purpose of suffering in the life of a believer. The Apostle Peter wrote in 1 Peter 1:6-7, “⁶ In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, ⁷ so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” Eric, I know that it’s often difficult to remember or even understand, but we must remember that God often uses suffering to refine our faith and deepen our dependence on Him.

Brother, as I read your letter, it seems that you believe that God has forgotten you, but I want to encourage you to view your current struggles through the lens of Scripture. Remember that our Heavenly Father is the Sovereign King of all The Universe, and He has allowed these difficulties for a purpose (Romans 8:28). While this may not immediately alleviate your pain, it can help shift your focus away from your circumstances and towards God’s plan. As real as your suffering is, try to remember that it is temporal and that we are to strive to maintain an eternal perspective.

Brother, I want to remind you that God has given us the means to experience joy even in the midst of suffering. I know that can be difficult to believe, but James 1:2-4 states, “² Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. ⁴ And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” As baffling as it can seem, this passage tells us plainly that not only can we find joy in the maturing process that trials bring, but we’re also expected to do so. Now, it’s all well and good to know that we should do a thing, but it’s another thing entirely to know how to do a thing. So let’s look at that.

Eric, we are commanded to joy, even when things are hard. Thankfully, contrary to what some secular folks may believe, God’s Word never gives us commands without any guidance or instruction of how to do what God commands. Remember that I said that we’d come back to Philippians 4:4-6?

“⁴ Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I will say, rejoice. ⁵ Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; ⁶ do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”

In addition to the command of “Rejoice in the Lord always…,” this scripture gives us a clear set of instructions on how to accomplish all this joyfulness. Verse 5 tells us first to “Let your reasonableness be known to everyone.” In the original language, this can also be expressed as “Let your gentleness be witnessed and understood by all.” You see, often when we are riddled with the anxieties that accompany suffering, our initial response is to allow our emotions to run wild. We can become angry or withdrawn, vengeful, or given to despair. If allowed to, our thoughts and feelings can quickly begin to violently fluctuate through every imaginable negative iteration until we become practically unrecognizable. The Apostle Paul tells us here to let our gentleness be known. Why? Because the Lord is at hand. Brother, you must remember the God you serve and exactly who you are to be in light of who He will always be and has always been.

Also, remember that part of the battle cry of every Christian is to “take every thought captive to obey Christ” (2 Cor 10:5). And the reason that you can do this is that He is at hand, He is near to you. This is why we can obey the command of “do not be anxious about anything.”

The next instructions we’re given here are prayer and supplication. This literally means to carefully approach the Throne of Grace, call out to God, and humbly beg. Call on Him for strength and deliverance. Psalm 145 tells us “¹⁸ The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. ¹⁹ He fulfills the desire of those who fear him; he also hears their cry and saves them.”

The final thing that we’re told to do before making our requests is to offer thanksgiving. An exceptionally practical way to cultivate joy is through gratitude. Focus on the blessings you have already received, both spiritually and materially, and thank God for them. It’s incredibly difficult to remain bound in despair when we are intentionally calling to mind and offering thanks for all the ways that our good and gracious God has seen fit to bless us. Giving thanks to God helps to realign our hearts with His by reminding us of His great love for us. A heart of gratitude will enable you to see God’s grace and goodness even in difficult times. This is why Paul exhorts us in 1 Thessalonians 5:18, “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

So, once we’ve set aside our anxieties by remaining gentle, fixing our minds and hearts on joy through remembering that God is near, and with all that praying, humble begging, and thanksgiving, then we’re told: “let your requests be made known to God,” but what are we requesting?

Technically, we can ask for anything; however, what should we be asking for? I contend that Christ teaches us in Matthew 7:7-11 that we should confidently request all the good gifts that we need to set down our anxieties, be joyous, and draw close to The Lord. Then, as we continue in Philippians 4:4-9, after all these commands and instructions, we see a glorious promise in verse 7: “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Brother, we’re promised the peace of God! A peace so deep, so sincere, and so complete that it’s beyond anything that we can comprehend or express. Now, as if that isn’t amazing enough, we’re given more detailed instructions and an even deeper promise.

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you” (Philippians 4:8-9).

Once this incredible peace of God has guarded our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, we’re told to focus our thoughts on true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, and praiseworthy things, and once we do, we’re given another promise: “the God of peace will be with you.” Do you see? First, God’s peace is guarding our hearts and minds, then God’s peace dwelling with us.

Eric, you asked me how you could maintain joy even in the midst of your suffering, and while I would like write to you again on this topic very soon, this is the best way I know of how to start. Seek The Lord, immerse yourself in His Word, bathe yourself in earnest prayer, supplication, and thanksgiving, ask Him to supply His good gifts to you, focus your thoughts on all that He says is lovely, and His peace will guard you and be with you.

Psalm 16:11 tells us: “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” And this is my sincere prayer for you, Brother. That you would find the fullness of joy in The Lord and know all of His good gifts and pleasures.

I look forward to hearing from you again soon. I’m praying for you, and I hope this helps.

Your Brother & Friend In Christ, 

Justin