Recalculate For Joy

Depression and joy

When joy seems to be hard to muster, do you question why you struggle to be happy even though you’re a Christian?  Do you feel guilty about your downhearted disposition? You aren’t alone. We all have our days, weeks, months, and years when joy seems unattainable–even as Bible believing, Jesus loving Christians. You are normal!

The other day, a good friend was telling me how the Lord whispered in her ear, “Be lighthearted.”

Her advice from the Lord spoke to me too because it had been a week of doubt and discouragement. Joy had been hiding in the shadows, and the slimy deceiver had been working overtime in my brain, even though I know better than to listen. There’s always a little truth mixed in with the lie that makes his whispers so hard to ignore.

Joy and chips

I know better than to entertain these thoughts, but I also know I shouldn’t eat a whole bag of potato chips. But like Eve I was tempted. My temptation wasn’t to eat an apple or a bag of sour cream and onion Lay’s chips (because we didn’t have one in the pantry.) My temptation was to indulge in discouragement. 

The Demon Called Discouragement

This demon is dangerous. That’s why God told Joshua not to be discouraged! It takes away our drive, hope, and purpose. Discouragement makes us want to quit, but this is not from God. The truth is, just because I don’t feel good about today, discouragement may threaten my resolve, and joy may seem far away, tomorrow will bring new mercies.

“For your mercies are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness!”

Lamentations 3:23 NIV

New help.

Life-giving hope.

Fresh perspective.

When the prophet Jeremiah penned these hopeful words, he was in a terrible situation. Jerusalem had been destroyed. Exiles carried away. But despite the death and destruction all around him, Jeremiah held onto God’s goodness and faithfulness, His mercy.

Recalculating For Joy

If you’ve been wondering why you feel so unhappy, it’s time to recalculate. Personally, sometimes I just need sleep when I’m downhearted. And other difficult days I need a new perspective like what I find when I go for a walk, sit by the ocean, or call a friend.

Finding joy beach

I counsel others that when the struggle is great, the enemy is worried and doing all he can to stop you. We’re onto him. We know his tactics. They’re getting old.

Redefine Joy

Part of the joy-less issue is we haven’t used Scripture to define it. Instead, we’ve used Webster. We’ve defined joy as happiness. But it’s so much more. I love this definition:

Joy is the settled assurance that God is in control of all the details of my life, the quiet confidence that ultimately everything is going to be alright, and the determined choice to praise God in every situation.  

~Rick Warren

Joy is a determined choice to praise God in every situation.

After my sister’s death, I wondered if I’d ever laugh again. The grief-ache was great. It simply would not let go until the day I chose to raise my hands and dance to God. To trust His goodness even in her death. To choose to be joyful in Him, not my unhappy circumstances.

That’s when the supernatural joy came.

In a post about the possibility of finding joy in all circumstances, I wrote:

Only the Spirit of Jesus can take me to places of joy and thanksgiving when circumstances fog my vision and life is less than pleasant. The practice of thanksgiving, even the desperate prayer to find something to be thankful for is a portal for His Holy Spirit to enter a despairing heart.

Have you experienced the magic of thankfulness?

Thankfulness and joy

Keys to Joy and Thankfulness

The Apostle Paul gives this advice: Do not put out the Spirit’s fire: do not treat prophecies with contempt. Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil” (1 Thessalonians 5:19-21).

These are keys to joy and thankfulness:

  • Hold on to the good. When things are bad all around you, your heart despairs with sorrow, or when life is just plain and ordinary, hold on to the good. Keep a “good things” journal.
  • Avoid every kind of evil such as the demons of discouragement and despair. Don’t entertain them.
  • Hold onto the truth of God’s goodness. Satan’s number one tactic is to put doubt in our minds of God’s goodness. Usually, when we are discouraged we are either mad at God or ourselves.

Rather than being upset about being discouraged, See it as a sign you must be doing something the enemy doesn’t like. He must be threatened by the Jesus in you. He’s threatened by your prayers for others and your gifts and talents that you are using for the Kingdom.

Oh, for eyes to see what we’re doing for God with eternal perspective! For eyes to see His economy as He views it.

Be lighthearted, beloved. Don’t take the negative thoughts so seriously. (I’m working on this myself!) Be thankful, trust God’s goodness and faithfulness, and go see a sunrise. Because His mercies are new every morning.

 Prayer for Joy

May I pray for you?

“Oh Father, you know how we struggle. You know how easily discouragement defeats our strength and resolve. Joy seems so far away. For the eyes reading this post, and the hearts struggling to smile, fill their minds with the good things in their life. May thankful prayers usher from their lips no matter how simple or small. Grace them with energy to go for a walk or witness the dawn of a new day. Silence the enemy and shackle his plans. No plan of his can prosper against your kids. Restore to us the joy of your salvation. Let us start there and may our joy be contagious. We love you. Amen. “

Other Posts on Joy:

Love, Work, and Joy

Choose Joy

Andy Lee

Andy Lee is an event speaker, blogger, YouTuber, and award winning author of three books, A Mary Like Me: Flawed yet Called; The Book of Ruth Key-Word Bible Study: 31 Days to Hope and Promise,and Radiant Influence: How an ordinary girl changed the world.She passionately teaches how to find the life in God's Word in order to live abundantly. You can catch her life giving message weekly on Instagram and YouTube. She also provides monthly Bible reading plans on her website www.wordsbyandylee.com.

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3 comments

  1. I like this: Satan’s number one tactic is to put doubt in our minds of God’s goodness

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