“Count it all joy” is a difficult pill to swallow when we realize that it is our suffering we are called to be joyous in. The reason, however, is that there is a promise. We are promised that this testing of our faith is purposeful, that we may develop steadfastness.

"John Piper tells the moving story behind the hymn. Horatio Spafford lost his four daughters in a tragic accident at sea. And in those horrifying moments, God amazingly put these lyrics on his lips."

It is easy to fall into patterns of training our sin rather than killing it. 

If your biggest reason to fight sin is that you don’t want to confess it again to an accountability group, you’re training your sin. If you only pray about the sin after you’ve “done it again,” you’re training your...