In 2018, the band For King and Country released a song titled “Joy,” which is about choosing to have joy in life. This particular line, “the time has come to make a choice, and I choose joy,” intrigued me. How can we choose joy?
I used to believe joy just happened to us, a fleeting feeling that comes and goes with the tides of life. Not something I could choose to have. I erroneously associated joy with circumstances and believed my joy depended on my current season.
But joy is not a feeling based on circumstances that change. Instead, it is a perpetual gladness of the heart that comes from knowing and experiencing Jesus.
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,
1 Peter 1:8
Joy is a gift from God available even during the hardest seasons of life.
Jesus never promised us a trouble-free life (actually He promised us the opposite in John 16:33); however, He promised us joy despite hard circumstances (John 15:11). The two are not mutually exclusive. It’s possible to have joy in any season of life; when standing on mountains, or plodding in valleys.
This unshakeable joy comes from loving God, knowing He will work out all things for our good (Romans 8:28), our trials will last only a little while (1 Peter 1:6), they will test and approve our faith (James 1:2-3), and one day trials will be over for good (Revelation 21:4).
Choosing to have joy during hard times is essential as it gives us strength. Nehemiah 8:10b says, “and do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.” God’s joy makes things more bearable; it strengthens us during our trials and helps us endure it to the end.
Moreover, choosing joy is a commandment in the Bible, not a suggestion. 1 Thessalonians 5:16 says, “rejoice always,” and Philippians 4:4 says, “rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice.” God expects us always to have joy and has given us an unlimited supply of it.
However, it’s up to us to grab hold of it. And once we have it, nothing can take it away from us ( John 16:22). If we don’t have joy in life, it’s because we don’t choose to embrace it.
Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation.
Habakkuk 3:17-18
For a long time, I didn’t choose joy. During difficult seasons, I struggled with depression, felt miserable, and drowned in self-pity. But when I listened to joy from For King and Country, I had a wake-up call.
I had had enough! I wanted to have joy, to smile, laugh, and find pleasure in life again. It was time for me to choose joy!
I didn’t know how to do it at first because I was so convinced I needed better circumstances to enjoy life. But God in His grace put some resources in front of me that helped me in my endeavor. One of which was a book titled “Love Life Again: Finding Joy When Life Is Hard” by Tracie Miles. This book provided me with some lessons and tools to experience joy even during hard times. And once I had joy, things changed!
Having joy didn’t remove my trials, but it helped me go through them. Last year at this time, I was sinking under depression. Today, even though I am still in the same season, I am no longer constantly depressed. My circumstances do not toss me, but I firmly stand on the solid rock.
I want that for you too! I want you to cloak yourself in the joy of the Lord to make you strong and unshakeable during stormy seasons. And that’s why I wrote this devotional to help you choose joy. It features seven steps that personally helped me to experience joy during difficult times.
To get a free copy of the devotional, simply fill out the form below, and you will gain access to it as well as other resources in my library.
Choosing joy is a journey, not a destination; Sorrows and trials will never cease to come in life. And each time we have to choose to rejoice in the Lord.
It’s not always easy to rejoice in the face of adversity. Somedays I struggle with it and choose to complain and lament over my lot instead.
But only you can choose to have joy in your life. So do all you can to grab hold of it, and never let it go.
[…] even during our difficult times, we can still choose to have joy because of our hope in Christ. Paul exemplified joy in suffering throughout his ministry. Though he […]
Love this! I have also been on this journey in the last year. I’m working daily on thankfulness, gratitude, kindness, and controlling my mind and those thoughts that defeat me. Reading this brought me joy!
Oh and I just downloaded the song “Joy”. 😉 Have a blessed day!
I am so glad this post was meaningful to you! These are excellent things to do daily, especially gratitude.
I love that song; it always brightens my mood and reminds me to choose joy!
Joy is a fruit of the Spirit and something we can have if we strive to be filled with the Spirit. I, too, have my days when I get down whether it’s feeling depressed or a pity party, but I’ve gotten better about identifying it and choosing JOY. Thank you for the encouraging post! 💕
Right? It’s so easy to get caught up in our feelings that we forget we can choose to rejoice. Thanks for reading!
I’m not Muslim but I can’t tell people here about this because they can kill me softly. So it’s complicated because all the time I face troubles about religion,mentality,behaviour of people so if I want to choose happiness it’s not too easy to achieve it .I try I believe in God and in cheerful future who know. Anyway Thank u for your advices
Hi Susan, I am glad my post was meaningful to you! I pray God will continue to comfort and encourage you in your troubles.
What a great, encouraging post! This is something God always reminds me to do in my daily life…to have joy! No matter what the circumstances may be, joy is not an option for the child of God. We already possess joy (one of the 9 fruit of the Spirit mentioned in Galatians 5). We just need to claim it! Thank you for sharing your heart!❤️
Thank you, Angela! I’m so glad my post was meaningful to you! What a blessing to know we can still have joy regardless of what happens in our lives, God is good!