A Journal of Joy: Things that make my heart smile…
By Barbara Dahlgren
It may seem incongruous, but Christians can have joy even when they are going through trials.
Joy expresses itself in different ways and when things aren’t going well, there is a kind of joy expressed through inner peace and calm assurance in God.
God never promised the Christian life would be free of trials, hardships, temptations, sorrow, or suffering. In fact, we are told to expect such things (1 Peter 4:12). Yet we are always surprised when they happen.
Oswald Chambers said, “The typical view of the Christian life is that it means being delivered from all adversity. But it actually means being delivered in adversity, which is something quite different… If you are a child of God, you will certainly meet with adversities, but Jesus says you should not be surprised when they come.”
When bad things happen, we aren’t expected to put on a happy face and act like all is well. It’s okay to be upset, hurt, or angry. It’s okay to cry and grieve. After all, even Jesus had moments when He wept over Jerusalem, wept over Lazarus, and sweated drops of blood. There is a time for everything (Ecclesiastes 1:1-8). However, we can’t stay there. We have to move on.
There are times when we just don’t feel like smiling, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have this inner calm kind of joy that comes to us from God. This joy manifests itself through our belief that God loves us and is at work in our lives. It’s the assurance that He will be there no matter what.
Paul tells us to always rejoice (Philippians 4:4). Always means always—in the good times and bad. Then he says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (Philippians 4:6). Paul is telling us not to let things that might make us anxious or fearful take us away from God. Don’t let those things steal our joy but continue doing the things we know we should do like drawing close to God through prayer and thanksgiving. In other words, God will take care of it. He might not take care of it the way we want, but we can trust Him.
There is joy that comes from having a relationship with God. We can have happiness without spiritual development, but we can’t have joy. Joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. It comes as a result of complete trust in God and a deep desire for His will to be done, no matter what the cost might be to us.
Jesus was not happy on the cross, but He endured it for the joy set before Him (Hebrews 12:2). This kind of joy comes from wanting God’s will more than our own. And with this, we realize God can take anything that happens to us and let it be used in some way to benefit others and for His glory.
Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” This is not saying everything that happens to us will make us happy. But it is saying God can take anything that happens to us and use it for good in some way.
When James 1:2 says, “Consider it pure joy when you face trials of many kinds…,” I don’t think it is telling us to rejoice because we have a trial. None of us say, “Oh yea! I just lost my job!” James is merely pointing out that we can have joy in the midst of a trial. We aren’t rejoicing because of the trial. We are rejoicing because of God. God is with us. We are not alone. God can and will use a trial to help us and others grow spiritually in areas like endurance, perseverance, character, and spiritual maturity. In other words, if there’s a pony is this “doo-doo” somewhere, God can help us find it.
I’ve come to see that my joy depends on the indwelling of Jesus Christ in my life, not outward circumstances (John 15:9-11). I don’t rejoice because of my trials, but I do rejoice that God is always with me no matter what happens. During the good times and during the bad times, I rejoice in God.
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O God, You are my Savior, my Deliverer, my Shelter, my Comfort, my Rock, my High Tower! You alone are worthy of my praise. In good times and bad times, let me never forget Your love for me. When I am weak, I need Your strength. When I am sad, I need Your comfort. You have never disappointed me and I know You never will. Praise to You, O God most high!
