Do you ever have those moments where something takes you back to your struggles...to those things you just don't understand? It happened to me last night and I'm still having a hard time navigating past it. Last night at Bible study I knew what the topic was going to be and I knew it wouldn't be easy. It was on storms of life and how to navigate through those storms. We have been talking about Noah and last night we talked about how most people's idea of the flood is a sweet children's story when in reality it was actually much worse than that. Anyway during the study we read several Scripture passages but two imparticular caught my attention.
"Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope." Romans 5:3-4
"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance." James 1:2
I can't wrap my mind around these two verses. I don't buy them. How can anyway rejoice in their sufferings or consider it pure joy when they face trials? What the crap!!! I have tried looking at these verses from different angles but whatever way I look at them I always come back to the bottom line of what the words say. Do they actually mean that we are to rejoice as we suffer? I am trying not to read too much into the text, so I feel like the words on the page are telling me that I should rejoice in the suffering and in the trials because they are developing perseverance. To that I say....CRAP..there are other ways to learn perseverance surely then that.
Those passage as well as others just don't make sense to me. How can other people rest on what they read in Scripture and yet I still question it?
Things like this cause the hamsters to run. It makes me realize how far I still have to go. Why can't I just accept things as they are without having to be so damn analytical about everything?
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4 comments:
I don't know you but what you write personifies perserverance.
Some random thoughts:
1. I don't think it means that we rejoice about our sufferings...we aren't supposed to be happy about the trials and storms...we can find comfort in knowing that our character will be strengthened as a result of the sufferings.
2. Perseverance can only be developed as we are given opportunities to persevere...there are elements of our character that require difficult times in order to develop particular character qualities. There is no cheap perseverance....
3. My takes on these verses is that the perspective we must take is an "eternal" perspective. If we look at it through the lens of the "here and now" of course it makes no sense to rejoice about difficult times. However, if we try to take into account the big picture then it leaves room for our desire to rejoice in whatever circumstance we find ourselves in because we know that God is bigger than our issue...that His purpose is greater than our struggle...
Just some random thoughts...
I wonder if these verses were spoke to encourage those in the faith who were going through a very difficult time.
They are not easy verses to swallow especially when someone or you personally are going through difficulties. Because I sure know when life is hard; I don't think it is joy.
becky
I want to chime in that i am with you laura on struggling the same way you said with these verses. I also am very much in agreement with becky and shelly. I can find joy in the *eternal long range* view, and know God is so huge He will make it all good in the end. But when severe trials and pain are hitting me, I am NOT rejoicing or being thankful in the moment I too have a long ways to go to get there my friend!!!
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