I stared up at my pastor in youth group as he talked about the Joy of the Lord and how we get to walk in Joy and how it’s a fruit of the spirit.
Huh, wow that’s so fake, I thought to myself.
Steeped in my own negative thought spirals, and halfway through a four-year battle with depression and anxiety, my 12 year old self thought that joy was a side affect of being a naturally happy person. There were happy people and sad people. I was sad person. When I pictured a joyful person, I pictured someone spewing cheesy motivational quotes, with a smiley-sticker smile on their face while reassuring themselves and others that life is good! Ya just gotta see the bright side! Joy isn’t real. It’s not for me.
Years later, I realize how wrong I was.
Joy is something that lasts an eternity longer than a motivational quote
Joy fills your heart in a way that external affirmation never can
Joy is present, even during the dark, dreary, and frustrating moments of life.
How is this true?
A Fruit of the Spirit
Fruits of the Spirit can be cultivated. This means that joy is something we can work towards. Please notice that it’s not something we work for. Fruits of the spirit are not a reward for us getting our lives together to a point where we have perfect peace and joy and love. They are a result of a consistent, surrendered walk with Christ, listening to His Spirit, and abiding in His Word. We don’t get to have joy after we soldier through the storm, we get to have joy through it. Joy doesn’t arrive at our doorstep along with the marriage proposal, job opportunity, or vacation. Joy is available to us in the boring, mundane, quiet moments too. As we continue to walk with Christ and allow His Spirit to transform us, joy will become more evident in our lives.
A Hope in the Resurrection.
One way to cultivate joy is to deepen our understanding of how permanent our eternal life with Jesus is, and how temporary life on earth is. The truth is, we can have joy always because we have hope in something bigger than our day to day lives. Yes, we can and should have joy even in those mundane moments, but the reason we can rejoice is because those moments are just the here and now. An understanding that our lives have meaning and value to GOD, and that we have a hope greater than ourselves can bring more joy into our lives.
Something We Can Experience Even When Life is Difficult.
The book of James tells us to “Count it all joy when we experience trials“. HUH?? YES, this means we can have joy even when we face really really hard things. How?
Because Jesus did first. It was the joy set before Him that carried Him through a horrific death on a cross. It was joy set before Him that allowed him to submit to pain and humiliation.
Also, because we don’t have to go through those trials alone. Jesus is the ultimate provider, strength, support, and help in our times of trouble. With Jesus, we have a hope to hold on to, which can give us joy even in the most trying times.
I don’t believe having joy in trials means always being gleeful, ignoring our sadness, or trying to twist our bad situation to find the good side. Ecclesiastes says there are times to mourn and times for gladness. We are not called to pretend that everything is good when it’s not, or to fake feelings of happiness when we are sad. I believe joy is more about perspective, and understanding that we aren’t hopeless, we aren’t alone, and we can still live in a way that brings praise to God even during difficult times.
Something We Can Experience Even When Life is Mundane
What about when we’re not either in the pits of life or on the mountaintops? What about when we’re just going to school, going to work, cleaning the bathroom, or caring for children? Even then and there we can experience joy.
Even mundane tasks have meaning and value. Next time you’re going through the motions of your day, think about what your task is for. Going to work has impact because you are providing for you family or using your gifts to bless others. Going to school can teach you determination and self-discipline, while giving you space to be around unbelievers and be an example of Christ to them. Cleaning the house provides comfort and functionality to yourself and your family and follows God’s command of being a good steward of your space. Motherhood is raising the next generation. A task that is trying but so valued in the eyes of God.
Even if you find yourself asking: Why am I doing this mundane thing?, you can find joy knowing that God delights in your service and hard work even when no one is watching. What you do with a cheerful heart is so incredibly valuable, and there is reason to find joy in that.
How Do You Choose Joy on a Daily Basis?
The big question is, how do we live this out in every day life? What can living a joy-filled life look like?
We’ve established that being joyful doesn’t mean twisting every bad situation to find the silver lining, or becoming a bubbly, glass half full person (I love those people by the way, but that doesn’t have to be you!)
I believe when we do have joy it will be outwardly visible. When we have joy, something changes that draws people to us and think, how can you be so joyful all the time?
For Me, Choosing Joy Every Day Looks Like:
- Starting the morning with bible time, prayer and gratefulness. More time in the Word is it’s own challenge (read this post for tips!) but let me tell you, my bible time is rarely an Instagram worthy experience. I don’t wake up before my baby, but reading my bible is the first thing I do when I wake up, right after feeding/changing my daughter. Usually she’s crawling all over me, or zipping back and forth from me to her toys, begging for attention. I usually have to pause what I’m doing at least once. Sometimes I read while she’s eating breakfast. But I make it a habit, which has made a big difference for the rest of my day.
- Making the choice at a frustrating moment to ask God for help. When something goes wrong, I have the opportunity to either get frustrated, or choose peace (and this happens SEVERAL TIMES A DAY). Remember, joy is accessible to us always, and it’s something that we can ask God for moment by moment.
- Doing things I love. Yes, I make time to do things that bring me enjoyment and satisfaction. I can’t always choose to do these things, but I choose to enjoy the gifts God gives me whenever possible.
- Being grateful for the life God has given me today. So much of my joy was taken from me when I compared my life to that of other’s and settled into discontentment. This is NOT of God. Jesus has given you a purpose, a calling, and a path for you to live RIGHT NOW. Dig deep into that. Thank Him for what He is doing in your life. Learn to celebrate the accomplishments of others as well.