How to Find Joy Amidst the Trouble
Life is hard. It’s full of difficulties, disappointments, and dead ends. Things can seem to be moving in a great direction for a time, and in an instant the wind can be taken out of your sails, leaving you empty-handed and brokenhearted.
In scripture, we see that life is no respecter of persons. It is hard for both the rich and the poor, those of high position and those of lowly position. And among God’s chosen people, we see that they too had lives riddled with pain and suffering as they waited for the hope that would come.
Sometimes the most challenging chapters are those where you feel stuck, as if God has you sitting on a shelf. Maybe you feel stranded, with no way out and no idea as to how long you’ll be there. It is hard to maintain a hopeful heart of dreams when you are always clouded by shadows. It is hard to believe for greater things when you keep running into walls.
As children of God, how do we cope in the moments when we feel like all our prayers are out of reach or even impossible?
The Bible speaks to this.
- Think of Joseph — a dreamer and beloved son, betrayed and thrown into a pit, sold into slavery, falsely accused, put into prison and forgotten.
- Think of David — a future king, giant killer, and hero to his people, almost murdered, forced into exile only to spend years on the run.
- Think of Moses — raised in the royal household, burdened to defend and deliver his own people from slavery, but forced into exile and left in a foreign land to tend sheep for forty years.
- Think of Hannah — faithful and devoted to God but barren and belittled, longing for a child, full of grief yet left to wait.
We often long for the life or success of someone else, but even the lives that seem desirable carry their own burdens and bruises. Amidst every background and life situation, there is the opportunity for joy or discontentment.
Is there a secret to living in joy regardless of your circumstances? What if I told you that it all begins in your mind and in your heart? Here are some truths to help foster joy in your thoughts and your life, regardless of your current circumstances.
1 — Find Joy in Your Work
The writer of Ecclesiastes tells us that God has gifted us with work (toil) for our joy:
Behold, what I have seen to be good and fitting is to eat and drink and find enjoyment in all the toil with which one toils under the sun the few days of his life that God has given him, for this is his lot...
This is true whether one is in a high or lowly estate:
Everyone also to whom God has given wealth and possessions and power to enjoy them, and to accept his lot and rejoice in his toil—this is the gift of God. For he will not much remember the days of his life because God keeps him occupied with joy in his heart.
Yes, we all have our own “toil”. This can mean your job or occupation, but it can also mean so much more. We are all given work to do, purposeful yet mundane tasks. We each have the things we must push through to complete each day, from mother, to farmer, to businessman, to pastor, to athlete, to teacher, to caretaker, and so on. We have a toil that won’t end this side of heaven. However, the writer of Ecclesiastes tells us that this “toil” is the gift of God. We can find joy in the work, so much so that it will keep us occupied with joy in our heart. That is a pretty impressive promise!
So, what should we do? Focus on the work God has given you right where you are. Ask Him to help You know this joy that He has promised. If he can keep you “occupied with joy” in your heart, should the Lord delay in bringing the answer to your many prayers, you’ll find life much more bearable. I have started encouraging myself to “Enjoy the toil,” and I can speak from experience, this is a promise God honors.
2 — Find Joy in God’s Provision
Wherever God may have you, He is providing for you. There may be things you are wanting Him to do that He’s not doing. And there may be provision you’re asking Him to bring, but He’s not bringing. Even so, open your eyes and look. One of the most helpful things we can do is to stop and think on all God has done and is doing for us.
There is so much that we overlook and take for granted that God is lovingly and graciously doing right now. It reminds me of the old hymn which says, “Count your blessings name them one by one, and it will surprise you what the Lord has done.”
If we can see the provision and blessing of God’s loving hand in our midst, it brings peace and joy. He is showing His love right now. Don’t overlook it. If there is good in your life, it is from God. Ask Him to open your eyes to his goodness. You don’t have to look hard to see the glory of God in your midst. Fix your eyes on what He is doing and enjoy the benefits of this promise, “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you” (Isaiah 26:3).
3 — Find Joy in Gratitude
Once God opens your eyes to what He is doing and providing in your midst, be thankful. Thank Him and praise Him for this gift of grace. Gratitude is a powerful antidote to discontentment. When we intentionally focus on the blessings in our lives, no matter how small, it can shift our perspective and help us see our circumstances in a new light.
We are encouraged to “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). If we walk in a spirit of thankfulness, it will inevitably fill us with joy.
4 — Find Joy in what Brings God Joy
In our hurried life, it is so easy to lose sight of the things that truly matter. We are often bombarded with so many different things that drain us rather than fill our cup and refresh our spirit. In this kind of atmosphere, our passions and pursuits can become jumbled.
For Believers, often our lack of joy can stem from a misalignment of our passions. When our desires are not in line with God’s, we will inevitably find ourselves feeling unfulfilled and dissatisfied. This will bring discontentment in our spirit because the Spirit of God lives in us. Ask yourself, “Is my desire for _______, about glorifying God and His Kingdom, or is it about me? Is it something eternal and lasting, or is it temporary and fleeting?”
If our passions are in line with God’s passions, we can find holy help for joy regardless of our circumstances. We can be like Paul. While in a Roman prison, he wrote, “I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content” (Phil 4:11), and he challenges us, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice” (Phil 4.4). We can rejoice, even in the prison, if we are united with God in our passions.
5 — Find Joy in Trusting God
This may seem a stretch. Often when we are having to trust in God it is because we are in a difficult situation. Joy is a struggle. But think on this, you have a God who is with you in your trouble. He has given great promises to You, that He will never leave you or forsake you. He has opened up the throne of heaven to receive your prayers and petitions. He is able to help and to save. He bids you to cast your cares upon Him because He cares for you.
Even though your situation is difficult, He hasn’t left you alone and without hope. The best way to trust is to meditate on the word of God and His great and many promises to those who hope in him. There is joy that you can have in this time, knowing that you have a faithful God who hears, who cares, and who is going to fulfill every single word of His promises.
In Closing:
You must fight for this joy and work at it. But this joy can be had, and there is nothing else in the world that can give you joy like this. Joy amidst the trouble can only be found in God.
The enemy wants you to live in discontentment and sadness. But the promises of God are for you, and He is faithful. The tears don’t have to fall forever. He can give you joy right where you are, regardless of your circumstance.
- Enjoy the Toil — Invest yourself in the work God has given you and find joy in it.
- Count your blessings — Look around and see how God is providing and caring for you.
- Be thankful — Thank God for all He is doing, as you wait and believe for all He’s yet to do.
- Live for God — Let your passion be the same as God’s passion.
- Trust God — Find joy in the God who bids You to cast your cares upon Him, trust Him, and believe He cares for you.
Here’s a song we wrote a few years back that might encourage you as you walk through the trouble — BE STRONG
