Feeling joy amidst pain might seem contradictory. However, Jesus, when foretelling his disciples of his death on the cross, warned them: “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy.

When a woman is giving birth, she has pain because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world.”

With these words, Jesus showed that the possibility of experiencing joy in sacrifice could indeed become real if we stop focusing on the pain and concentrate on the ultimate outcome.

Perhaps it may be necessary for us to leave behind harmful people or situations, surrender areas of weakness to God, forsake our own righteousness, or spend hours shedding tears in prayer. These are stretches of pain and sacrifice, but with a culmination of joy.

“Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:1-2).