Peace in Tribulation

Peace and tribulation keep company in the Christian walk. Progress and struggle go hand in hand. I don't know why believers think that the Christian walk is supposed to be conflict free. Jesus told us, "In the world you will have tribulation." Paul adds, "All those who live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution." Yes, "all." Peace comes when we face the struggle with obedient faith. What is tested by the struggle is our love and our will. No matter what the circumstances, no matter what the cost, will we love Him enough to be obedient, to do His will, to continue to say the right things about Him with an attitude of praise? Those who do so, who walk by faith, delight and please the Father. Those who do so, willingly leave the consequences of their obedience in the hands of the all wise, all loving God.
We must not fear the struggle nor see it as a sign of weakness or as evidence of God's displeasure. It is the struggle that purifies and refines us, molding us into the likeness of the Son. It is the struggle that assures our hearts that we are on the right path in a world that embraces the wrong one; that we are on the narrow way and not the broad one that leads to destruction. It is the struggle that tells us that the Father is working in our lives, committed to our progress, confident in our love for Him, anticipating the day when He will call us home to complete the transformation. We must not lose heart, but endure, remain steadfast, never slipping backward as we walk on. Peace and joy come to those who face the struggle in the power of the all-sufficient grace promised to the true and the faithful. Walk on. The struggle is the foundation of your joy.