How to Fight for Joy
Pastor Dillon Thornton
With Jesus Comes Joy—and Trouble
The English writer G.K. Chesterton once made the oxymoronic claim: “Jesus promised his disciples three things—that they would be completely fearless, absurdly happy, and in constant trouble.” A brief survey of the Apostle Paul’s life reveals the accuracy of this statement. In 2 Corinthians 11, Paul gives us a snapshot of his various struggles:
I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. (2 Cor 11:23-28)
Paul was in constant trouble, for sure! And yet, he was joyful. Writing to the Christian community in Philippi, he says, “Rejoice in the Lord always” (Phil 4:4). Paul found joy in Christ, and he fought hard to hang on to it. Joy, like unity, is both a theological reality (something God creates for us) and a practical responsibility (something we must cultivate). How, then, do we fight for joy?
The Joy-Strengthening Weapon of Missionary Biography
Of the weapons at our disposal, the one I want to highlight here is the potent but underused instrument of missionary biography. Stories have the power to fascinate. To motivate. Human nature is such that we tend to think things are impossible—until we see someone else accomplish them. For decades the 4-minute mile was the Holy Grail of athletic achievement. It simply couldn’t be done. Then in 1954 Roger Bannister did it. Suddenly the impossible became achievable. Within a little over a month, someone broke Bannister’s record. Within a year, three runners broke the 4-minute barrier in a single race. Over the last half century, more than a thousand runners have conquered a barrier that once was considered hopelessly out of reach. Hanging on to joy while life is falling apart seems like the 4-minute mile. It seems impossible. Until we see someone else do it.
This is one of the reasons we should read the great missionary biographies: because they did it. Many of these men and women struggled intensely, but they didn’t surrender their joy. They fought for it. (Another reason we should read missionary biographies is because they help us understand that many of our struggles are trivial compared to the cruelty and injustice our persecuted brothers and sisters face on a daily basis.)
God’s Hostage
An ocean of inspirational ink awaits you and your children. But if you’re not sure where to begin, I highly recommend the new autobiography of Andrew Brunson, God’s Hostage. Andrew is one of our missionaries in the EPC who was falsely accused of terrorism and held for two years in Turkish prisons. Some of us remember praying for Andrew; he was released just over a year ago. He’s now published his full story, and it’s a riveting read. In the first chapter of the book, Andrew paints a picture of life in Turkey. Before he was imprisoned, Andrew and his wife Norine ministered in Turkey for 23 years: they started churches, trained believers, provided aid for refugees, and organized a prayer ministry. Here’s a short story from Andrew’s ministry to whet your appetite.
Our years in Turkey hadn’t been easy. We knew of a few Christians who had been martyred for their work. We had received death threats. After the first ones, for a time I only wore tennis shoes and tied them tightly–something I rarely do ... Norine noticed and asked why I wasn’t wearing sandals in the hot weather. My answer was simple and pragmatic: “Because I may need to run away.” That had been a scary time, especially for us as parents of young children, but it forced us to confront the issue of risk. Were we going to run at the first threat? How easy it then would be to get rid of us. We decided that we would stay until God showed us clearly to leave... We knew the risks and we accepted them ...
We never had a dull day in Turkey. Anything could happen on a Sunday–good or bad. We could pray for a visitor and see them healed or we could have someone yelling threats disrupt our meeting ... [One April Fool’s Day] I stepped outside the church during a prayer meeting ... Suddenly, a man in a camouflage jacket caught my attention. He stood out for one reason. He was pointing a pistol at me from about twelve feet away ... I froze. All I could focus on was the pistol that was trembling in his grip. Six shots rang out in quick succession. Then he dropped the gun, reached into a bag on the ground beside him and pulled out a shotgun. My brain finally started working. As he struggled to close the gun, I knew he couldn’t miss with a shotgun. And if he went into the church after he got me it could be a massacre. I rushed over to the gunman and wrapped my arms around him from behind in a bear hug. He was bigger than me. Stronger. I held on desperately. As we struggled, he pulled the trigger and the shotgun went off. He started screaming, “You started a church. We will not permit this! We will bomb you. We will kill you.” I felt nothing. I was numb. All I knew is that my life–and the lives of others– depended on not letting go. Finally the police arrived and put the gunman down on the ground. Once they had taken him away, I walked back into the church. Adrenaline had helped me hold on to my would-be killer, but when I sat down the shock hit like a hurricane ...In the days and weeks that followed the attack, people asked us whether we would remain in Turkey. Norine and I knew the answer immediately ... until God told us it was time to leave, we would stay. We knew the risks and we accepted them.
How do we fight for joy during our seasons of struggle? Read about people who have done the impossible. Read about people like Andrew Brunson. Wield the joy-strengthening weapon of missionary biography.