What You Should Do When Trouble Comes Your Way - Rejoice!

If You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us. — Mark 9:22

What is your expectation of your new life in Christ? Is it that everything will be “hunky-dory”, things will go your way, your troubles will be over?  Troubles will somehow skip over your house and land on another because you are sanctified and justified in Jesus?  If you have been a Christian longer than a day, you know that is not going to happen.  

So how do you reconcile the idea of faith, hope and love with the reality of living your life in a sin-sick world?  How do we have faith, we have hope, we are loved and demonstrate the love of God in spite of the world we live in?  In spite of the trouble that comes.  

“We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.” – 2 Corinthians 4:8-10 

Does that sound like we are going to live a “trouble-free” life?  Right after I was born again by faith, my step-dad told me that my struggle had not ended, but had only just begun.  He was referring to the spiritual struggles that I would face.  Jesus said: “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” – John 16:33  

James wrote:  “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” – James 1:2-4 

The troubles we endure in this mortal life are a test and without a test there is no “test-imony”. The troubles that we face in this life produce the “fragrance of Christ”. 

“But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.” –  2 Corinthians 2:14-15 

In the testing of your faith through the realities of living this life on earth, the world can and should see Jesus in you.  That is unless you choose to face life on your own.  Doing your best to deal with whatever comes your way.  Ignoring the power that is within you that comes by faith and doing your best to deal with your trouble using your own wisdom and strength.  Oh friend, God did not intend for you to live your new life the same way that you lived your old one.  You are more than a conqueror in Christ Jesus.  Your charge from God is to live by faith and not by sight.  Every day you must “look to the hills from whence your help cometh.”  When trouble comes your way, look up, trust in the Lord and so let your light shine among men .. to the glory of God and the salvation of the lost.  Your strength produced by your faith is why you can rejoice in times of trouble!