Suffering is the Source of Joy: A Conversation with Joni Eareckson Tada

"No one is immune to suffering. It’s a part of life on this side of heaven, and yet we do all we can to avoid it, numb it, or end it. We in the West have a poor theology and practice of suffering.

On this first episode of the fall 2023 season of All Things, we are joined by Joni Eareckson Tada. Joni is a well-known author, speaker, and advocate who became a quadriplegic over fifty-six years ago as the result of a tragic diving accident when she was just seventeen. She is CEO of Joni and Friends, a global ministry that serves the practical and spiritual needs of people with disabilities. She is also an artist and the author of numerous bestselling books.

Joni reminds us that joy comes through suffering. Her personal stories and practical advice teach us to persevere through pain, fixing our eyes on our Savior, the Man of Sorrows who knows what it is to suffer. This episode is packed with scriptural truth and will minister to all who are weary. Listen, be encouraged, and share with someone you know.

Episode sponsor:

Crossway: crossway.org/plus

Impossible Christianity: Why Following Jesus Does Not Mean You Have to Change the World, Be an Expert in Everything, Accept Spiritual Failure, and Feel Miserable Pretty Much All the Time by Kevin DeYoung: https://www.crossway.org/books/impossible-christianity-hcj/

Joni Eareckson Tada:

Joni & Friends - Sharing Hope Through Hardship: https://joniandfriends.org/

Songs of Suffering: 25 Hymns and Devotions for Weary Souls by Joni Eareckson Tada: https://www.crossway.org/books/songs-of-suffering-hconly/

Resources from this episode:

Cultural Counterfeits by Jen Oshman (information on assisted suicide and abortion were drawn from chapter 4): https://www.crossway.org/books/cultural-counterfeits-tpb/

https://www.pewresearch.org/interactives/in-their-own-words-how-americans-explain-why-bad-things-happen/

https://news.gallup.com/poll/397286/poor-life-ratings-reach-record-high.aspx#:~:text=Since reaching a record high,estimated 14 million American adults.

https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/alcohols-effects-health/alcohol-topics/alcohol-facts-and-statistics/alcohol-use-disorder-aud-united-states-age-groups-and-demographic-characteristics

https://drugabusestatistics.org/

https://wng.org/roundups/states-remove-protections-from-assisted-suicide-1690922301

https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/reflections-on-50th-anniversary-of-my-diving-accident/