Issue 31 What is Joy?Blog | Joy, our secret weapon
Joy, our secret weapon
Author: Andy PeckPost Date: 23.03.22
One of my favourite verses in scripture can be found in Romans 8 verse 18. Paul powerfully states, with conviction, after what the Bible records as consideration (‘I consider’) that the suffering of this present time is not worthy to be compared to the glory that will be revealed in us.
There is so much to unpack in that short verse. Much of which, I am sure, many of you have drawn from on some of the more difficult days. The idea that suffering doesn’t last forever, the idea that glory can follow suffering, and that the truth is that we will, by faith, have his glory revealed in us. It sounds beautifully motivating, and it is; but how do we communicate that message during a time of what feels like constant suffering? How do we continue to remind people that it doesn’t last forever, and that the acute pain they’re feeling now will one day pale in comparison?
This was a question I asked during my time of prayer when I received the news alert, ‘Russia has invaded Ukraine.’ I thought, my goodness. I had become so accustomed to receiving news on the pandemic, I had almost become desensitised to the death rates that were so frequently shown. I took a deep breath and said, is this a new battle? I wasn’t sure we had finished the last. Almost instantly, as always, my fear was stifled when put against the Comforter. In meditating on Romans 8:18, I was reminded of God who is always near and from where help, guidance and strength come. It was in that moment that I was also reminded of the power of joy.
It can be easy to switch from sharing God’s might and power to wanting to fix the situation in our own might and power. The tiredness many of us feel, the deep fatigue, and for younger preachers the feeling of giving up could quite possibly be tied up in the fact that we have taken on burdens that we should have surrendered. We think about the many people in Ukraine who became homeless overnight, we think about the children who are suddenly fatherless, the people who will be filling our homes and churches and, of course, we become instantly overwhelmed. The thing is, these are all good thoughts that reflect the heart of God. We should be looking for ways we can help, not just those from Ukraine but all refugees, but if I may encourage us to remember the joy, that fruit of the spirit, reminding us that God is always near. Remember that the joy of the Lord is our strength.
As we look at the ministry of the Apostle Paul, the many regions
