By Ann Weaver.
Do you ever feel as if you have no joy? As if everything in life is difficult, and you’ll never get a break? Perhaps you become anxious or depressed, or maybe you just feel sort of down.
During these times, do you ever question God? Do you ever wonder why he sent these trials? Perhaps you even consider that there’s something wrong with you, because you can’t find the gladness about serving the Lord that you used to have. After all, there are many verses in the Bible about joy, even ones that tell us to be joyful during trials. (James 1:2) But often, that feeling of joy seems to be just out of reach.
Why does that happen? Are you inadequate? Are you lacking something that others have? Did you lose something during your spiritual walk? Others seem to have joy, so why are you feeling this way?
These are hard questions. But every Christian experiences this feeling at times. Today, we’re going to unpack the why and how of these questions, asking why we feel this way and how to fix it.
What’s wrong?
1: Many of us think that joy and happiness are the same thing. But happiness is based on circumstances and emotions, while joy is based on truth. An example of happiness would be going to a craft fair for your birthday. You enjoy it and experience pleasure from your outing, causing happiness. An example of joy would be Paul and Silas singing in prison (Acts 16). Even when they were in difficult circumstances, they still had joy because of the Lord.
2: Society is based on feelings. If we feel happy, that means we’re joyful and feel good about our lives. If we feel unhappy, we grow anxious and depressed and feel like everything is going wrong—even if it’s not! But joy can’t be based on temporary feelings—it has to stand on something deeper than our emotions.
3: Joy can be stolen when we get distracted from the Lord, who is the source of true joy. When we take our eyes off Him, we begin to focus on ourselves and all our problems, causing anxiety and fear. Keeping our eyes on Him will enable us to have joy despite our trials.
How can we fix this?
1: Surrender your anxiety and trust God fully. When you realize that He is working all things for your good (Romans 8:28), you can surrender to Him and trust that He is in control. This brings joy in knowing that He will always take care of you.
2: Change your focus from yourself to God and His plans. Shifting your focus to God will remind you of His greatness and majesty, which brings great joy in His power and might. Remembering His greatness is a key to finding joy.
3: Look at others. There is always someone you can help in some way. Serving the Lord by caring for others is another way to bring joy back into our lives. It’s also a way to get our eyes off ourselves and onto what matters the most: God and His sovereign plans.
4: Choose to dwell on truth. Whenever you feel anxious thoughts creeping back into your head, turn your mind away from them. Repeat Scripture to yourself and remind yourself of the truth. Turn away from your ever-changing feelings, which can easily deceive you into false joy or depression, and continually think on the constant truths told to us in the Bible.
5: Praise God, even when you don’t understand. Though you may feel as if everything is out of your control and nothing can help you find joy again, still praise the Lord. Keeping your eyes on Him and His works will bring you joy and contentment, as worship keeps you reminded of His many attributes.
Even when you’re in difficult circumstances, it is still possible to have joy. The most important thing to remember during these times is why we can still have joy, even when things seem to be turning out all wrong and we feel as if nothing could make them right again.
“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (John 15:13)
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