Habakkuk is one of my favourite books in the Bible. There’s no froth and bubble, sugar and spice in Habakkuk. He was saddened by the injustice and sin in Judah but he was even more sad when God told him that the Babylonians were coming to conquer Judah in punishment.
In the last 3 years I had a lot of disappointments at work and my career ambitions were snatched away. I missed out on positions that I should have been given because of cronyism on 3 separate occasions. It was very painful because lies were told about me, I was bullied and the whole thing was very unjust.
I had to learn a lot of lessons about forgiveness, integrity, being gracious and trusting God. I was angry at God for a while but then he reminded me of Jonah. What right do I have to be angry? God never promised me the positions I applied for. I need to trust that he is in control, that he is “always at work for the good of everyone who loves him.” (Rom 8:28) God my creator and Saviour, has the absolute right to direct my life. My challenge, and task, is to be faithful and conduct myself in a way that honours Jesus in everything I do.
Habakkuk is very grounding and encouraging because he is so real. He doesn’t pretend that life is always great, or even that it should be. This is what he said when God told him he was going to execute judgement on Judah: “When I heard [God’s] message, I felt weak from fear, and my lips quivered. My bones seemed to melt, and I stumbled around.” (Hab. 3:16)
I can relate to that. At the worst times, I couldn’t sleep, I was anxious and I felt like I was stumbling around. We can’t help having an emotional reaction when bad things happen but we can choose to either wallow in our misery or to fight our way out.
Habakkuk’s next words are so inspiring. “But I will patiently wait. Fig trees may no longer bloom, or vineyards produce grapes; olive trees may be fruitless, and harvest time a failure; sheep pens may be empty, and cattle stalls vacant – but I will still celebrate because the Lord saves me. The Lord gives me strength. He makes my feet as sure as those of a deer, and he helps me stand on the mountains.” (Hab. 3:16-19)
Challenging verses
One day I read the verse, “A friend loves at all times.” (Prov. 17:17, NIV) It struck me that one of the people who had backstabbed me had been a friend so I need to keep loving her even when she treats me badly.
I read “God is good” (Rom. 12:1) regardless of what happens in life. One of the most negative outcomes for me during this experience was that I lost my confidence that God will do good things for me. He does for other people but maybe not for me. This reminded me of Job – “If we accept blessings from God, we must accept trouble as well.” (Job 2:10)
Look at all the heroes of the Bible. Most went through some very tough times before they achieved the success that we admire them for – Joseph, Moses, David, Daniel to name just a few. Reading their stories later, we can easily see that God brought them through the hardships and it was God who gave them success because they remained faithful. My challenge was to praise God in the midst of pain and loss just like those blokes.
Through it all I learnt a lot about myself, my self-image and what motivates me.
I had asked God to keep me humble. Turns out that was a dangerous prayer but if humility is only a theoretical concept, it is of no practical value to us. If emotional pain is only something I have read about or heard others talk about, how would I know what it feels like? Maturity and wisdom can only be learned at the school of hard knocks.
Philippians is another of my favourite books in the Bible. Paul was in prison and he prayed that he would “never do anything to be ashamed of.” (Phil. 1:20) That became my prayer too when I was tempted to fight back and run down the people who had hurt me.
Paul also wrote to the Philippians, “Try to shine as lights among the people of this world.” (Phil. 2:15) While this was all happening, I had more opportunities to share my faith than I have ever had with my colleagues. Australian workplaces are often very Godless environments.
Many of the Psalms were written when David was under attack and feeling afraid and desperate. For example, “I feel hopeless, and I cry out to you. You are a strong tower … I will sing your praises forever. Only God can save me and I wait patiently for him. I feel like a shaky fence or a sagging wall. How long will all of you attack and assault me? You love to tell lies, and when your words are kind, hatred hides in your heart. Only God gives inward peace, and I depend on him.” (Ps. 61:2, 3, 8; 62:1, 3, 4, 5)
What is Joy
So where does joy fit in? Paul endured a lot of persecution and pain but it didn’t destroy him. He said, “We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed.” (2 Cor. 4:8-9, NLT)
I always felt that way. I was often aware of God’s presence and I always had a sense of hope that God was in control. God was working out his plan. I remained confident that God isn’t finished with me yet and wherever he leads will be good. That hope lifted me above the sadness. I don’t know whether to call it ‘joy’ or not, but I could still focus on the good things in my life and that kept the pain in balance.
Joy is not the same as happiness, although it might often be expressed in the same way. It is also not just the absence of sadness, as it is often present even when we are desperately sad. Joy is a deep-seated sense of contentment, satisfaction and spiritual lightness. It’s not just an emotion because it is one of the fruits of the Spirit so it has a spiritual dimension rather than just a psychological origin.
Joy has a sister, Peace. Inner peace is not just the absence of conflict as it can be present even when our world is in chaos.
Peace, also, is a deep-seated sense of calmness and well-being that external circumstances cannot destroy.
Both peace and joy result from the hope and assurance which God gives us – the hope of salvation where there will be no more conflict or sadness, and the assurance of his goodness. Both are more than just emotions which can be described as psychological phenomena.
Joy and peace are a theme that runs through several Old Testament and New Testament books. In the words of Paul again, “I have learnt to be satisfied with whatever I have. Christ gives me the strength to face anything,” (Phil. 4:11, 13)
But how do we get to experience joy and peace in the midst of our pain? Paul says “Let the peace that comes from Christ control your thoughts.” (Col. 3:15, emph. mine) We have to co-operate with God by exercising self-control. And we will be able to exercise more and more self-control as we immerse ourselves in God’s word, get to know him better and better and “Let the message about Christ completely fill [our] lives.” (Col. 3:16)
As we do that, the Spirit can fill us with his fruit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. (Gal. 5:22, emph. mine, NLT)
Just as a little aside, consider this: Why is love listed first? Because “Love is more important than anything else. It is what ties everything completely together.” (Col. 3:14)
Why is self-control last on the list? Because none of the others will happen if we don’t make a decision to allow God to work in us and we put some effort into obeying his commands. Many of the statements about joy in the Bible are imperatives. “Always be full of joy in the Lord,” (Phil. 4:4, NLT) “Always be joyful.” (1 Thess. 5:16, NLT) There’s many more.
God couldn’t tell us to choose joy, or peace or holiness or anything else, if it isn’t possible for us to do it. Because joy and its relatives are not just emotions, it is possible to refuse to think negative thoughts or to behave in ways that reflect misery. Not easy, but possible. It will take discipline, and maybe professional help, but the results are worth the effort.
Jesus didn’t die to give us health, wealth and happiness. He died to save us from hell. He died to make us God’s children, to be like himself. The road to Christ-likeness, the road to heaven, will almost certainly lead through hardship and suffering at times but that doesn’t diminish the worth of our salvation. It doesn’t devalue God’s goodness, power or faithfulness. We’re in a spiritual warfare so life for those who follow Jesus is not going to be easy.
Solomon said something similar in Ecclesiastes: “Wisdom, intelligence and skill don’t always make you healthy, rich or popular.” (Eccles. 9:11) Happiness, success, an easy life – these are not our rights as Christians. They are blessings and they aren’t even the most valuable blessings God has for us. What is most precious? “Wisdom is worth more than silver; it makes you much richer than gold. Wisdom makes life pleasant and leads us safely along. Wisdom is a life-giving tree, the source of happiness for all who hold on to her.” (Prov. 3:14, 17, 18)
Knowing God’s will
I often wondered, ‘What is God’s will in all of this?’ When the first incident happened, my first thought was that God wanted me to leave that job. I would never have left without a strong shove though, because I loved it and I hoped to spend several more years working there. I’ve agonized over whether and when God wanted me to leave but I had no clear guidance, certainly no sign pointing in a new direction.
I wondered if I should stay and accept being in a job that I am over-qualified for. At one of his lowest points, when Absalom tried to overthrow him, David was still able to say “If the Lord is pleased with me, he will bring me back [to Jerusalem] again. But if he says he isn’t pleased with me, then let him do what he knows is best.” (2 Sam. 15:25-26) There’s real joy in that kind of submission but I came to believe that there is nothing wrong with wanting a job that uses your qualifications and experience. Joseph, David, Daniel – they were leaders and rulers. God put them in those positions and used them there.
I wondered if I would be out of the will of God if I chose to stay or if I left but I believe God expects us to make wise decisions. Perhaps I got no clear guidance because God would use me in either situation if I let him.
I would have liked God to reassure me that I would make enough money if I left. Maybe that is where faith kicks in – did I trust him to provide? I suspect he’s not going to answer that question because he wants me to trust him.
At one point a couple of friends prayed that I would be given some confirmation of God’s leading. The very next day God said, “Haven’t I told you before, you’re not going to get a sign, just trust me!” He meets our needs one day at a time and that is enough.
So this is what joy means to me – “Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty, yet I will rejoice in the Lord! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation!” (Hab. 3:17-18 NLT)
Or, to paraphrase, “When you’ve lost everything, hang onto God because he’s all you’ve got.”
By Christelle Withers-Mayne
April 2020