The Grief That Grows Us + Upcoming Events

How God works through our hardships to give us assurance of faith.

First of all, thank you so much for subscribing to my newsletter. If you read my previous article or saw the fallout on Twitter, you know this past month was disheartening. However, God works through all things – especially our weakness – to draw us closer to him and build us up in his Spirit. He is ironically merciful, infinitely wise, and forever faithful. A prime example of his goodness to me has been your generous support, compassion, and encouragement. I was overwhelmed by your responses, but I know He sees every one of you and will not forget your kindness.

Since I published my last piece, Christianity Today and Fathom Magazine have reached out, and I’m working on some articles for them. Meanwhile, my publisher and I are editing my upcoming book. It’s called Defiant Joy, and it’s about how we can find happiness and take comfort, even amid sorrow and suffering, because God walks with us through our darkest valleys. Like Jesus, we can fix our eyes on the joy set before us. As we fix our eyes on him, he perseveres us by his grace.

But how do we take heart during difficult times? How do we cling to joy when our emotions are transient, and life keeps throwing us one challenge after another? It’s easy to think that our faith – like our feelings – ebbs and flows depending on our situation.

In Defiant Joy, one thing I focus on is demonstrating and reassuring us of the foreverness of our faith. So often, at least for me, a major inhibitor of my happiness and ability to rest in God is an underlying fear that my faith is weak, fake, or not good enough for God.

But here’s the cool discovery I’ve made. Ironically, because I survived abuse, I can look back at my life and see miracles. There is the miracle that I survived. The miracle that I remain a Christian. The miracle that I’ve recovered as much as I have. The miracle that I continue to heal and grow. The miracle that I’ve been married for 16 years. The miracle that I was able to end the cycle of abuse and give my kids a stable home.

Because I can see that miraculous perseverance – the fact that my faith came blossoming back to life after feeling so dead inside me – is evidence and irrefutable proof that the Holy Spirit is in me. God was with me, even in my broken childhood home, keeping my faith kindled, keeping me strong enough to survive. God was with me when I had PTSD, holding the fragments of my heart together. God is with me now as I work to equip the church and minister to other survivors and their loved ones.

And maybe you’ve never experienced abuse, but you’ve had other hardships. Maybe you’ve endured illness or injury, struggled financially, lost a baby to miscarriage, suffered unemployment, or have strained and broken relationships with people you love. Whatever the valley of the shadow looks like for you, know that God is in it with you. It’s God who gets you through it. It’s God who recovers you from it.

Your endurance, your healing, your spiritual growth and ever renewing hope; that’s the fingerprints of God on your soul. Never forget that. He has not abandoned you. He has not left you or forgotten you. He is patiently, carefully, lovingly, and faithfully kindling and rekindling your faith.

Because we have hardships we grieve. Because we survive, we know God is with us. In this way, our very grief should give us assurance of faith.

This is what James means when he says, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.” James 1:2-3

God isn’t testing your faith because he’s not convinced it’s legit. He knows everything. He sees straight into your heart. Rather, I think he works through hardship to convince you that he’s not going anywhere. Struggle after struggle, hardship after hardship, we begin to expect the faith he gives. We grow less distrustful and more reliant on his provision. No matter what happens, and no matter how out-of-control life may seem, he will be faithful to give you faith. You can be steadfast and confident because you know you are loved by him.

As David sang in Psalm 139:9, “If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.”

And so, we need never doubt the reality of our faith. It is as real as the God who gives it. It isn’t something you can lose or misplace. It’s a gift from your Father, and you cannot stray outside his grasp.

Sunday, April 2

Covenant Church Morning Worship – 11AM
Join us for Worship, Testimony, and Music
Covenant Women Evening Conference – 5PM
Dinner and Child Care Provided!
7485 Shepherdstown Pike
Sheperdstown, WV 25443
RSVP HERE

Tuesday, June 13, 12:00 PM

ECAP Child Protection Panel at The Southern Baptist Convention
Join for a conversation on child protection and abuse prevention in ministry. Besides me, the panel will also feature Dr. Deepak Reju, Kris Buckman, and Jeff Dalrymple.
RSVP HERE

I also have events coming up in other places too, including Dallas, Texas and Jacksonville, Florida, so stay tuned!

Much love,

Jenn

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