Joy in the Lord when you are sad!

How to joy in the Lord when you are sad? What makes you happy? Can a person be joyful all the time? What if life doesn’t go well? If you are worried about something, what are you doing: Are you quiet, and are you crying? Do you lose your appetite, or do you eat a lot? Believe that God can make your life better! Or have you decided to follow God both when it is good and when it is bad? If something goes wrong, what do you do? Can you remember when you gave up on something? Do you remember when you trusted God?

If the answer to most of these questions is no, then I have another question for you: what do you need to be able to enjoy and rejoice? Stop and answer this question. Did you answer? Are you sure your answer is correct?

Even, I don’t know what your answer, let me offer you a correct answer. Joy has everything to do with faith, with the Bible, and with God! Absolutely! God, Himself, wants us to rejoice and enjoy. Did you know that? Have a look in these Bible verses:

Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice. (Philippians 4:4 KJV)
These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. (John 15:11, KJV)

These verses clearly show how the Lord wants us to rejoice in Him. These verses in the proper context, get a new meaning. So we can discover the true nature of joy. Therefore, let’s joy in the Lord when you are sad, and you don’t feel like it.

How did Paul joy in the Lord?

As a servant of God, Paul had many problems. He was in jail, and he was prosecuted in the name of the Lord. But he did not give up, although he also faced death. Why? What was so important that could cost him his life? Paul never gave up, because his mission was very significant. He wanted everyone to hear the good news about Jesus so that they could believe in him. Since we know what God has done, we should joy in the Lord even when we are sad. Paul and every believer can be very joyful, and the Holy Spirit will give us the strength to endure hardships. Read the whole chapter 4 in Filipinas.

When we talk about joy in context, that means that happiness is not all that God has and wants from us. For example, it is God’s will that we suffer, that is not very joyful. It is in His plan to endure adversity. At first glance, that is not something that makes us happy either. Joy must fill our hearts, but it is not always in the foreground or always obvious. Joy is much more than some superficial elation or a beautiful feeling. Let us keep this in mind as we observe the remaining text.

Joy in life circumstances

The Philippians supported Paul while he was in prison. They prayed for him and virtually helped him. Paul was very grateful for everything, and he knew that they helped him because they loved him. Because of their faithful service, God will reward them. The church in Philippi was founded by Paul, and it was the first church in Europe. Paul writes with love to his friends in the church. Although he is in prison and maybe facing death, the letter is filled with Paul’s faith in Jesus. He rejoiced in the Lord! Apart from the fact that real joy does not depend on circumstances, the Bible teaches us to rejoice in normal circumstances, that is, to enjoy God’s gifts. Rejoice in the Lord, and He will do to you what your heart desires. Surrender your walk to the Lord, and he will join you on the way!

Paul, like many others, never stopped enjoying and rejoicing in the Lord. With each sigh, he glorified God! No matter the circumstances, he never resigns from the Lord. May God be merciful to us so that we may decide, like Paul, to joy in the Lord when you are sad. Hence it should be our prayer. I want to encourage you to enjoy God’s gifts! Enjoy the sun, nature, coffee, husband or wife, and other blessings. There are a lot of earthly goods, but people don’t know how to enjoy them at all, others have little, almost nothing, but they enjoy it. Kneel or bow your head and think about how great and powerful God is. The Lord himself wants us to rejoice in the normal circumstances. However, if we do not know the Lord, who is the source of satisfaction, then we do not know what pure joy is.

What does the Bible say about joy?

Biblical roots for joy:

As the Bible says, rejoice because your names are inscribed in heaven. It is a joy that is independent of external life circumstances. This joy grows in us when we give place to the Holy Spirit in our thoughts. So, the first Biblical statement is about salvation!
And if one day all earthly bringers of joy are no longer available to us, because we find ourselves in a hopeless situation like Paul was in a damp, moldy dungeon at the time, we still have memories of sunny days and refreshing joy. The second realization: God loves me. God is with me. That is why Paul advises us to think about what is good and beautiful, to fill our thoughts with bright and sublime images.

Trust in God is a highly important factor in the lives of those who have joy. Without such confidence, there can be no pure joy. Paul put it this way: Rejoice in the Lord always! I repeat: rejoice! May your gentleness be known to all people! The Lord is near!
The last but not the least biblical statement for joy in the Lord even when you are sad in the fact that God is your Father! No matter who your biological dad is, your Heavenly Father is God himself! What a joy! The most powerful, Almighty Creator of Heaven and earth, is your Father. And He loves you at your worst and your best!

Paul has decided to dedicate his entire life to preaching the good news of Jesus, and he reminds readers that their friendship with Jesus is crucial. Paul has decided to rejoice his entire life.

Joy thieves

Enjoy the real things God gives you, and be really grateful to God. Let’s point out some things that steal your joy and happiness without you even being aware of it. When you get rid of it, you could enjoy the simple things in life a lot more. Greed and worry are something that certainly takes away and steals joy. What do joy and care have in common? Nothing! Anxious care grows in a man who has no confidence in the Lord. How much happiness is in the hearts of those who worry anxiously? Very small or non-existent. Those who worry anxiously simply cannot enjoy the many goods that the Lord gives them to enjoy. Caring draws and eats away at all their joy and energy. Those who worry anxiously simply cannot enjoy the many goods that the Lord gives them to enjoy.

What is your current spiritual condition? Do you look calmly and carefree at the sins in your heart, or do you fight and reject them? Concern exists where there is no trust in God. In other words, it is infidelity. Caring, distrust, and unbelief gain strength through disobedience and trust and faith are strengthened through obedience and complete surrender to the Lord. If I have given my life and all that I have into the hands of the Lord, then why do I worry about tomorrow and the day after tomorrow? My life belongs to Him and He cares for me, and my only concern is to please Him. Trust in God is a very important factor in the lives of those who have joy. Without such confidence, there can be no true joy.