How many of you remember who this young actress is portraying? If you said Pollyanna, you’re right. If you have no idea, you should look up her name and the Disney movie that was made with the same title.
Pollyanna was a little girl who weathered some very trying, life-changing, challenges but never lost her joy. Oh, people tried hard to discourage her and tell her she was wrong for always being so optimistic, but she wouldn’t allow them to stifle her enthusiasm.
Watching that movie, I wanted to be like her. Little did I realize at the time, but she was a living example of what happens in our lives when we trust, completely, in God’s love and kindness.
Pollyanna invented the “Glad Game”. She insisted that the people around her always look for something to be glad about instead of the adverse. I like her style and so would have the Apostle Paul.
“Always be filled with joy in the Lord. I will say it again. Be filled with joy. 5 Let everyone see that you are gentle and kind. The Lord is coming soon. 6 Don’t worry about anything, but pray and ask God for everything you need, always giving thanks for what you have.” Philippians 4:4-6 CEV
The qualifiers in this verse are obvious: always, everyone, anything, everything. Those words leave nothing out. Filled with joy, don’t worry, give thanks.
It reminds me of what Jesus said.
“So I tell you, don’t worry about the things you need to live—what you will eat, drink, or wear. Life is more important than food, and the body is more important than what you put on it. 26 Look at the birds. They don’t plant, harvest, or save food in barns, but your heavenly Father feeds them. Don’t you know you are worth much more than they are? 27 You cannot add any time to your life by worrying about it.” Matthew 6:25-27 ERV
Worry doesn’t change our circumstances. Faith in God does.
“ Do everything without complaining or arguing 15 so that you will be blameless and pure, children of God without any fault. But you are living with evil people all around you, who have lost their sense of what is right. Among those people you shine like lights in a dark world,” Philippians 2:14-15 ERV
We need to look at our struggles as opportunities for refinement. Gold is purified and refined when it is heated. That’s the difference between 10k and 24k, the purity that only comes through fire. It’s important to remember that the gold isn’t destroyed, it only increases in value. It’s the impurities that are burned off.
My dear friend, I need you to remember this always.
“So what should we say about this? If God is for us, no one can stand against us. And God is with us. 32 He even let his own Son suffer for us. God gave his Son for all of us. So now with Jesus, God will surely give us all things.” Romans 8:31-32 ERV
God is definitely for us. He’s on our side. Why else would He have sent Jesus to suffer and die? The reason is He loves us and wants to fill our lives with the richness of His goodness.
Other than Jesus, I think the Apostle Paul faced more hardship and struggle than any other Christian.
“ We never give up. Our bodies are gradually dying, but we ourselves are being made stronger each day. 17 These little troubles are getting us ready for an eternal glory that will make all our troubles seem like nothing. 18 Things that are seen don’t last forever, but things that are not seen are eternal. This is why we keep our minds on the things that cannot be seen.” II Corinthians 4:16-18 CEV
Next time struggle or adversity comes stop – before we engage in complaining or worrying let’s look to the unseen and remember that God is on our side.
Now, that’s something to be glad about!