Philippians 3:8 (ESV)~"Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake, I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ."
As summer quickly catapulted us towards the beginning of our first year as Mission III Academy, I began to seek God’s guidance on our theme for the year. The closer we got to the launch of school, it became clear that we were called this year to be a people of JOY.
Circumstances within numerous families in the school may leave some questioning why we would choose JOY for such a year as this. Some of our staff face terminal diagnoses for parents, several parents in our school have received hard burdens to bear through their own health struggles, and my heart was struggling as we moved our son to Colorado and our daughter to Costa Rica within weeks of each other. But God was clear; proclaim JOY over it all and watch me prevail.
What Happened Next...
So that is what we did. At our kickoff cookout, we talked about JOY amidst difficult circumstances. And every Wednesday, we are tackling a section of scripture from Philippians which is THE book of JOY as Paul relates his ability to rejoice EVEN AS he faces severe hardships.
Not even ten days into the school year, I hit a low.
But it didn’t last long. Want to know why? Because Mission III means I have a whole cloud of witnesses surrounding me who remind me of God’s truth. I am beyond grateful for Godly people who always point me back to Him.
There is no doubt that when we do something bold like claim JOY in the midst of this fallen world, Satan will be on double alert, ready to attack anywhere he can. But praise God, He never leaves us nor forsakes us.
1 Peter 5: 6-10 (ESV) says, “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.”
Just this summer at our overnight Backyard Bash, Mr. Lonnie gave a devotion on this very idea, demonstrating how Satan cannot attack nearly as easily if we huddle together and leave no one behind. So as I felt Satan moving in to steal my JOY as the school year began, I begged God to send people to surround me. One particular instance was me telling a friend that I just wished God would send someone to speak encouragement over me. As I went back to my vehicle, I had two messages. One was a random text message from one parent just thinking she should encourage me. The other was a message from a student who saw my vehicle and wrote me a note but couldn’t get it to stay so instead she took a picture of it and texted it to me. Wanna talk about timing? Coincidence? I think not. God orchestrated a breath of His goodness over me just when I needed it most.
What About You....
You think God doesn’t hear your cries? You are wrong. He hears every last one, and His heart yearns to remind you that even through the hardships, you can indeed have JOY. You see, I have been learning lately that JOY is a natural overflow of a heart grateful for his great grace (Thanks, Louie Giglio:).
Jesus himself sets the example of one who endures hardship yet expresses joy. Hebrews 12:2 (ESV) reminds us that Jesus is the perfecter of our faith and “for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross.” That very cross grants us grace, and if Jesus can claim joy over crucifixion, surely we can choose to accept His grace and know that despite our circumstances, we have much to be grateful for. And when we have much to be grateful for, we naturally become a people of JOY.
Will this year be difficult? It already has been for so many. Even right now we have another family struggling in the hospital. But God is good; oh, he is so, so, so very good. And He promises that He himself will restore us. He will establish us as His very own, and He will give us all the strength we need to face whatever may come.
Dearest friends, I earnestly pray you know that today. No matter what you are facing, the God of grace offers you a place with Him, and there is no better place to be. In Him, we truly find JOY that IS OUR STRENGTH no matter what comes our way!
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