Joy is deeper than happiness. Happiness can rise and fall with each day. But joy is rooted in the eternalness of God. So, you can be unhappy and still have joy, because true joy doesn't come from you. It comes from God.
And faith teaches us that joy is not dependent on our circumstances. Instead, joy comes from learning to trust in who God is and the promises God makes. That's an important consideration because none of us escapes sorrow or pain in this life. We all face our share of unhappiness and heartbreak. But even in our trials, we still have joy.
That doesn't mean God throws calamity on us. God doesn't play games with our suffering. Testing isn't to fail us, but to form us. Testing doesn't expose your weakness to shame you. It reveals your strength to shape you. And as we let it do so, we learn to persevere. So, perseverance isn't sitting on your hands waiting for a trial to pass. Instead, perseverance is active faithfulness. A spiritual muscle that grows by pressing against resistance.
How we respond to trials is an important reflection point. We often want the product of faith without the process. That's natural. Nobody wakes up asking for suffering. However, maturing in faith doesn't come through shortcuts. It grows as we learn to stay. It grows when you decide to trust God not just for quick miracles but for the long road of faith ahead. We can't always avoid difficulty, but we can trust God through it.
Considering all that, it's important to see that God wants you to get through the trial, whatever it is you're facing. But, even more than that, God wants to make you whole. So, whatever trial you find yourself in, don't just ask God for relief, but for faith to endure, faith to grow and faith to see what's being formed in you. As you do, you'll know the joy God gives.
Stay blessed...john | 
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