There comes a time in life when being joyful does not seem possible or even realistic. When someone encourages us to “look on the bright side” we scoff. What could they possibly know? When others tell us to be joyful in times of trial we often brush this aside with the belief that this could never happen. Sitting in a hospital bed, mourning the loss of a loved one, or even battling depression; joy seems a far-fetched idea. What does it mean to be joyful in all circumstances? More importantly, how is that something we can achieve?
Breaking it down
Through faith we can have joy in the promise of salvation through Jesus, and that He will come again. We are told, “Do not grieve because the joy of the Lord is your strength.” (Nehemiah 8:10b, CSB) This does not mean that we cannot grieve. After all, there is an entire book called Lamentations! Even Jesus grieved the loss of His friend, all the while knowing He would raise him to life (John 11.) Jesus shows us that grief is okay, it is natural, and it is not a sin. However, we can and should look to the Lord to strengthen and sustain us through difficult times. Psalm 51:12 says: “Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and grant me a willing spirit to sustain me.” (NIV) We see here that the psalmist looks to the Lord and asks God to sustain him with joy as he remembers the gift of his salvation.
In the same way, we should look to the Lord in times of tribulations and ask Him to also sustain us with joy.
We can find joy in the hope of Christ’s second coming when He will take us up to be with Him and there will be no more tears or suffering (Revelations 21:4.) Paul encourages us: “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” (Romans 12:12) We are also told, “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.) Both of these verses give us the key to being joyful in all circumstances: prayer. Prayer is our direct link to God, and when we pray we can lay all our burdens at His feet and make our requests; when we pray we can have peace (Philippians 4:6-7.) Praying draws us closer to God, and when we are close to Him we can feel His love and this gives us joy.
In one of the most famous Psalms, David says: “Even when I go through the darkest valley, I fear no danger, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff— they comfort me.” (Psalm 23:4, CSB) We have joy in God’s unfailing love! During our darkest hours He is by our side. Being a Christian does not mean we will not face trials, but it does mean that we will not be alone during them. Joy on our terms is short-lived, but joy in the Lord is everlasting.