By Peter Amsterdam
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Over the years we each face seasons where the struggles of life can seem overwhelming, and the end of that cycle doesn’t appear to be anywhere in sight. We can feel like we’re stuck, and a sense of boredom or tediousness can set in, or a lack of joy. Someone I communicate with described it like this:
Sometimes it can feel as if the joy has been sucked out of your life and you’re now on autopilot, just going through the humdrum motions, day after day. You know what you need to do, but you don’t want to do it. You’re not in the mood. You’re in a funk. You don’t have the motivation to move forward. You feel grumpy and negative about yourself, and you wonder if you’ll ever get your motivation and joy back.
I realized recently that being bored can become a habit. You get used to it and kind of resign yourself to a boring existence. Then you stop trying. Your flame of enthusiasm becomes a little ember that’s just flickering. You kind of die inside.
When you’re feeling this way, it’s easy to default to available, comfortable, feel-good pastimes, such as binge watching, gaming, drinking, etc. You may find yourself spending more and more time in these activities, but still not feeling much better.
Maybe you can relate somewhat to that description, or maybe not. Such feelings are understandable, but the good news is that no matter what our circumstances and what losses we have sustained or what season of life we find ourselves in, we can rediscover our joy!
It’s important to remind ourselves that Jesus is the source of our joy. Knowing Him, staying close to Him and His Word, being filled with the Holy Spirit, and walking in obedience to our calling can infuse our lives with joy that is not dependent on physical circumstances.
We read this in Psalm 43:3, “Send out your light and your truth; let them guide me. Let them lead me to your holy mountain, to the place where you live.” [The psalmist] sought after God, then committed to praise and trust Him no matter what, which is what we read in the next verse, “There I will go to the altar of God, to God—the source of all my joy. I will praise you with my harp, O God, my God!” (Psalm 43:4).
Despite his heartache and overwhelming emotions, the psalmist remembered God truly was his only help and that GOD was always there, never forsaking him even when it felt like it.
If you’re feeling forgotten, by others or by God, let your hope swell and your joy return by intentionally believing that God will never leave you and is always by your side. Make a commitment to focus on God’s presence and the blessings He has given you, and let God be the source of your joy.—Tracie Miles1
And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.—Acts 13:52
The joy of the Lord is your strength.—Nehemiah 8:10
The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.—Psalm 126:3
Besides centering our lives on the Lord and His Word, and seeking to be filled with His Spirit, there are also practical “joy boosters”; that is, practical approaches that we can implement to enhance or recapture our joy. Let’s look at some ways in which we might do that. I’ll note a few ideas here, but this is by no means a complete list. If you’ll take some time to think and pray about this, the Lord can give you ideas that will work well for you personally.
Notice the little things. Try to pay attention to even brief moments that bring joy; these could be the result of little things. Take a moment to intentionally thank and praise the Lord for the little wonders that inspire you. Once you are aware of the things that produce joy, think about how you can intentionally build more of those moments into your life.
It could be such things as hearing a baby laugh, seeing a beautiful butterfly or playful puppy, laughing at a joke, eating a delicious dessert, hearing a beautiful song, or feeling invigorated after a walk or exercise session, creating or appreciating a work of art, and so on. Let small things bring you joy!
Many people are so disconnected from joy that they aren’t even really familiar with what joy feels like in their body or what types of things bring them joy. A joy journal is a good place to start: Pay attention for a week or two to all the moments when you find yourself smiling or laughing or feeling a sense of joy wash over you. Notice where you are, whom you’re with, and what you’re doing—those can all be clues to the kinds of things that might bring you more joy. ... The goal is to notice them, and once you notice what is causing them, you can re-create those conditions in your life.2
Allow time to do what brings you joy. Maybe some of the things you enjoy doing don’t seem important enough to take the time; it’s not a priority. Perhaps it feels like a self-indulgent waste of time or a distraction to your more important goals. But it is important to consciously make time and space to enjoy life as you are able.
Take a minute to remember what you used to love to do and find a way to pick it up again. If things are different now and that activity is not possible, or you find that it doesn’t “bring you joy” now, try something else. Just try! When you’re in a blah state of mind, you often can’t think of anything that would make you feel better, but don’t resign yourself to that mindset. Stir yourself up, give yourself some time, find something you like to do and enjoy it!
Make a difference. No matter how limited your circumstances, there is always something you can do to make things better. And making things better can give you a sense of fulfilment and enjoyment. Doing something for someone else, even something small, can bring you both joy. One of you shared the following, which I think illustrates this point well. She wrote:
I had just read “Willie and the Five-Minute Favor” by Iris Richard (in Kenya) in the July 2021 Activated mag.3 In the testimony Iris said:
We were just finishing up the distribution of 50 ten-kilo care packages to poor people … at the edge of one of the largest slums in East Africa.
Happy to have completed the project, I turned to leave when my colleague Sally held up the last package, saying, “Before we close, let’s quickly deliver this one to Willie up the hill. He isn’t able to walk down here.”
I was tired and sweaty, and my back ached. … I was about to postpone this task for another time when I remembered my new resolution of “five-minute favors,” which was inspired by something I read online:
“Want to make the world a better place? … Enter the five-minute favor concept that is no more complicated than its name alludes: take five minutes out of your day to do something that’ll benefit another person. … It doesn’t cost you much, but it can make a big difference in somebody’s life.”
Iris went on to explain how she decided to make the climb to deliver the care package to this needy man. He was alone in a one-room shack. His house had been destroyed in a flood, he had lost his leg in a hit-and-run accident, and consequently, he had lost his job.
She wrote: “Willie received our care package with a big smile. ‘God sent you!’ he said, and a tear ran down his cheek. … ‘I found new hope and purpose because of you,’ Willie said, when donated items for his new little roadside business were delivered by well-wishers.”
I was so touched by that testimony that I decided that I would also incorporate the idea of the “five-minute favor” in my life. I don’t live in Africa or have a ministry with the very poor, but I figured I’d give it a shot. I needed a new challenge, I was bored.
Soon after this commitment, I went to the grocery store. To give a bit of the back story: In a previous visit to this store a week or two earlier I had been trying to make a return at the customer service desk. I was having trouble with the transaction as I didn’t have my glasses and I kept entering the credit card number incorrectly. I noticed I was being attended to by the store manager. The store was busy. While helping me, the manager was constantly approached by all kinds of people—customers, employees, suppliers, etc., and he was kind and polite with each one. He kept smiling as he’d turn to me and with a kind voice say, “Shall we try it again?” He never once lost his composure or seemed bothered at all.
While at the store on this recent occasion, I walked by the manager, and I thought, “Ah, here’s an opportunity for a five-minute favor.” But I quickly started to talk myself out of it. “I’m in a hurry. And besides, he’s busy.”
But no! I turned around and walked up to him and asked, “Are you the manager?” His serene expression quickly changed, and he got a concerned look on his face that seemed to say, “Oh no, what’s wrong now?!”
I reminded him of our previous encounter. He immediately looked relieved. Then I said, “I just want to compliment you on your kindness. You make a difference in people’s lives every day with the patience and consideration you show and with that constant smile of yours.”
He was literally speechless! After a few seconds, all he could say was, “Oh wow! Thank you for telling me.”
That was it. This just took a couple of minutes, but it made a difference not only for him but for me, too. I felt a sense of joy. I felt like that tiny thing meant something! I enthusiastically told my friends about this. The “five-minute favor”—I highly recommend it!
Take inventory of what saps your joy. Happiness can be circumstantial and fleeting, but joy is a gift from God, and we can have joy even in difficult circumstances. “The joy of the Lord is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10). But it’s important to realize that there may be things in our lives that steal our joy. Those are sometimes referred to as “killjoys.” Here is an excerpt of a helpful article:
Life, even for the best of us, has its ups and downs. That is not going to change, but there is a way to make the “ups” far more common than the “downs.” The key is to strive for joy rather than happiness.
The difference between the two is significant. Happiness is based on circumstances. If things are going well, we are happy; if they’re not, we are unhappy. Unfortunately, circumstances in today’s world are usually poor, so happiness is becoming more and more elusive.
Joy, on the other hand, is not tied to circumstances. Rather, it is the positive confidence one feels from knowing and trusting God regardless of circumstances. Joy is a key component of what Galatians 5 calls the “fruit of the Spirit.” It is a gift from God, but we must prepare our hearts to receive it by first identifying and eliminating those things that are robbing us of joy. There are three primary killjoys: selfishness, resentment, and fear.4
As we walk through life, we will deepen our relationship with the Lord through the suffering and difficulties we endured. By God’s grace, we will be more mindful of our blessings and more appreciative of our family and friends and God’s abundant grace and supply.
It is important that we not allow any negative emotions, thoughts, or moods to take hold in our lives. The killjoys mentioned—selfishness, resentment, and fear—can grow with time and become habits or automatic reactions. If you have allowed any of these killjoys to take root in your life, it’s important to take the time to seek the Lord, study the Word, and ask for His forgiveness. You can have a fresh start beginning today! The Lord can cleanse your mind and spirit and fill you with His joy.
When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy.—Psalm 94:19
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.—Romans 15:13
Trials and tribulations can be a Beauty for Ashes experience that can cause us to reevaluate our lives and priorities. Painful times can prompt us to open our hearts to the Lord, helping us to discover valuable truths that we might have missed otherwise. It’s a great time to ask yourself and seek the Lord, “Is there any area I need to change in? Or is any course correction needed in my life?”
Remember that the source of our joy is Jesus. In the world, happiness is often associated with appearance, wealth, relationships, possessions, etc. The message the world is sending is that happiness comes from outside ourselves. We’re bombarded with messages that circumstances control our sense of joy. But in reality, our joy comes from Jesus. Love, joy, and peace are all fruits of the Holy Spirit. Jesus is the source of our joy! As we seek the Lord and allow the Holy Spirit to reign in our lives, we can rediscover our joy. Praise the Lord!
Yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation.—Habakkuk 3:18
They lift up their voice; together they sing for joy; for eye to eye they see the return of the Lord to Zion.—Isaiah 52:8
Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.—1 Peter 1:8–9
Read by John Laurence.
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