Joy In Jail

2 Corinthians 6:9-10 –

‘We are ignored, even though we are well known. We live close to death, but we are still alive. We have been beaten, but we have not been killed. Our hearts ache, but we always have joy. We are poor, but we give spiritual riches to others. We own nothing, and yet we have everything.’

I don’t know whether you ever notice how often someone repeats something, and then once you’ve noticed it, you can’t stop noticing it? Someone pointed out to me how often I say “anyway” and “all of that to say”, and now I can’t un-notice it and can’t stop saying it.

Anyway, all of that to say, if there was a word that the apostle Paul said a lot it was ‘joy.’

Today we find Paul writing to the church in Corinth. Paul writes a lot about joy, which is surprising considering he didn’t have it particularly easy. He talks about ‘a thorn in his flesh’ that he pleaded and pleaded with God to take away; he was disliked and threatened, and he spent a lot of time on his own in horrible prisons.

And yet joy is one of his favourite topics.

Paul knew that joy was a fruit of God’s Spirit. It was a sign that Jesus was with him, inspiring hope, speaking encouragement and providing comfort, even when he was being persecuted or imprisoned. But what I love about Paul, what we see in today’s passage, is that as much as he talked about joy, he also didn’t shy away from talking about pain.

In this verse Paul points out that yes our hearts ache, yes we have sorrow and pain, but we also have joy. Paul doesn’t tell us to ignore or suppress our pain because that’s never a good idea. Instead he acknowledges the pain and the heartache, but he also chooses to trust Jesus. He chooses to trust God’s promises. He chooses to trust God’s faithfulness. He chooses to trust in our eternal hope.

Prayer – Jesus, thank you that you are with us in the heartache. Thank you that the joy we find in you is unshakeable, despite all that life throws at us. Be with us and help us to cling to that joy even when life is tough.