We can rejoice in our trials, for they make us more like Christ. He suffered for us, and we can honor Him by enduring with faith and gratitude. He gives us the gift of believing in Him and His plan for us. As we trust in His sovereign will, we find healing and restoration for our souls. He only heals those who need healing, He only saves those who need saving.
Do you ever feel pressured to smile when you are sad? Do people tell you to ignore your pain when something bad happens to you? Are those who claim to be Holy the very ones who hurt you with their fake sympathy?
Feel no obligation to adhere to anyone that adopts society’s narrow interpretation of “joy,” for it tends to be based on superficial determinations. Judging another in a negative light for the amount of “joy” they exude outwardly is a shallow viewpoint, lacking any essence that lies beyond its ephemeral impressions that only feeds the ego of the one judging.
It is okay to feel sad or downcast, and it is important to take the time to process those feelings. Do not care too much about what other people think or project on to you, especially if they base their conclusions on outward appearances.
Do not allow yourself to be influenced by the perspectives of anyone who advocates for you to display a false sense of happiness. Such guidance, in essence, fosters an attitude of superiority and must not be accepted.
It is important to honor God, Who is Truth, by being honest about your feelings and emotions, even if they are not positive or cheerful. God values truth above all else and knows your heart and mind better than anyone. Do not let others make you feel guilty or ashamed for being faithful to the Lord, even if they try to persuade you otherwise and even if you feel alone in your voyage.
Authenticity Triggers Many People’s Insecurities
Sometimes people may dislike you because you are authentic to yourself: this quality can trigger their insecurities and fears of not being good enough.
Many people walk around with an inferiority complex while projecting a false sense of superiority.
They may feel threatened by the nakedness of your vulnerability, so they venture to bring you down or they avoid you altogether. They are unable to allow themselves to SEE the realness of your pain, as their only focus is avoiding their own.
Instead of acknowledging their issues, they attempt to project them onto you, casting curses your way and oftentimes will find a method of rationalization inn order to blame you for “causing them to feel uncomfortable” because your candor of pain is a reflection of the very thing within themselves that they deflect away at all costs. You may serve as a mirror, a mirror that many despise.
The Scriptures call us to empathy.
This is the mark of a Christian.: “… If one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it…”
As Christ said: You will KNOW them by their Fruits. What are fruits?
Character: Do they love? Do they have empathy for those who suffer? Do they seek for good?
Just as a fruit tree produces fruit that reveals its nature (qualities & substance), our actions and behaviors reveal who we truly are and affect those around us, whether or not we are able to recognize it.
Love is taking another being as apart of yourself. When you hurt; you hurt, right? So, if you love someone; when they hurt, you hurt as if it is you that was hurting, because it is, now that you love them.
“…Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He WILL exalt you…”
James 4:7-10
To truly heal and grow from our wounds and challenges, we need to have the courage to expose our vulnerability, weakness, awareness, and honesty about our struggles and pain. We need to seek guidance and wisdom from Him instead of blindly following the expectations of those around us.
I now rejoice, not that you were made sorrowful, but that you were made sorrowful to the point of repentance; for you were made sorrowful according to the will of God, so that you might not suffer loss in anything through us.
~ 2 Corinthians 7:9
For to you it has been granted for Christ’s sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake,
~ Philippians 1:29
that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.
— Philippians 3:10-11
“… as for you, my dear brothers and sisters, when I say that we must be willing to embrace suffering and endure trials in order to produce true joy in our lives.
~ James 1:2-4
For everything in the world: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life--comes not from the Father but from the world.
~ 1 John 2:16
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
~ 2 Corinthians 12:9
Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.
~ 1 Peter 5:6
We boast in the hope of the glory of God. We also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.
~Romans 5:1-4
Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.
— James 4:8-10
