Everybody’s time at home is looking a little different these days. From work life, personal routines, time alone, and distance from friends and family… we are all starting to miss a bit of our “normal” lives and the feeling of certainty and stability that they brought.
In stressful and uncertain times, it’s easy to lose sight of hope and joy. Joy can feel so distant. But what if joy was easier to attain than you thought?
The Bible tells us that “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1). It was said about him to his people that “the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you” (Deuteronomy 31:5-7). You can also learn from Scripture that “the joy of the Lord is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10). So if God is right here and offers this amazing joy, how do we get it?
Here are some quick ways to infuse the joy of God into your days:
Thankfulness
Gratitude always puts things into perspective. It’s simplicity shouldn’t fool us; thankfulness is a powerful tool!
Psalm 118:1 says, “give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.” Another verse in scripture states, “rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). It’s interesting that thankfulness in scripture is often put in the context of being a response to God’s goodness and also that thankfulness is to be practiced in every circumstance. God knows that thankfulness is good for our hearts and reorients us to his goodness and love.
Below are a few ideas of how to practice thankfulness. Pick what works for you or come up with your own idea.
- Start a gratitude journal where you state each day what you are thankful for.
- Ask friends to start a group text/ chat where you share 3 things you are grateful for each day.
- Each morning when you wake up, make it a habit to tell God, “Good morning God, thank you for today!” And tell him what things in life you are looking forward to and grateful for.
If you begin to practice thankfulness each day your joy is sure to increase because your thankful outlook will start to impact all area of your life.
Releasing Anxieties
In the Bible, God constantly invites us to “not be afraid”, “not be anxious”, and to come to him with our concerns. We do this largely through talking to God (prayer).
Philippians 4:6-7 states, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Did you catch that? God’s peace transcends understanding! So even the seemingly unhopeful situations are not off the table. God’s peace can come to places where we could never imagine having peace.
Make it a daily habit to talk to God about your anxieties. Ask him to give you perspective wisdom joy, and peace in even your hardest circumstances.
Spiritual Trust Fall
If you’ve ever been to camp, you probably familiar with the “trust fall”. Your peers line up behind you on either side, you to cross your arms over your chest, then fall backwards. You try not to flinch or reach to break your fall, but just trust that the arms lined up behind you will collectively break your fall.
The spiritual trust fall is a daily practice we can exercise. The Bible teaches that God is trustworthy. “For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations” (Psalm 100:5).
This is a God you can put your trust in!
We are less in control of our lives than we may realize. So, the question is, are we going to trust God or are we going to continue to act like we are more capable than we are? One poet in the Bible states, “In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.” No matter what plans we make in this life, God is still greater than the plan we have in place.
Your spiritual trust fall today might be choosing to be generous with a neighbor in need when you personally don’t have financial security of your own- but you choose to trust God with what you do have. Or maybe it’s taking time to pray when you feel like you have a million things to do and can’t spare time, but asking God to make your day productive so you can spend more time with him. What are you trusting God in?
Each night, as you lay your head on your pillow, trust God to catch you. Tell God that you will place your faith in him to handle all of life’s curveballs. Practice letting God be in control rather than trying to make plans to control your own life. Ask him to teach you how to trust him over trusting in your own plan.
Joy is found in our relationship with God when we exercise placing our trust in him as we grow closer to him.
Scripture Meditation
Meditation: “to engage in contemplation or reflection.”
Just sitting and thinking about God’s goodness is a form of worship of God and also a source of encouragement for us. Reflecting on who God is, and what he says about himself and us is very uplifting.
The Bible teaches us to think about things that are good. Philippians 4:8 states, “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” Practice meditating on the goodness and truths of God each day.
Below are some verses you can meditate on in five minutes or less.
- Psalm 1:1-3
- Psalm 28:7
- James 1:17
Tips for meditating:
- Write the verse out on a notecard and stick it somewhere you will see it throughout the day- mirror, fridge, over your sink
- Read and re-read. This helps it get “stuck” in your head then you are thinking about these good messages more often and they start to affect your entire day’s perspective.
- Incorporate a verse into your prayers. For example, if the verse is talking about the goodness of God, pray to God and tell him all the things you see that make him such an amazing God!
- Explore other verses in scripture beyond this list.
These are just a few ways to get started on inviting God’s joy into your days. The addition of some small joy-filled habits can make an exponential difference on your over-all joy level. As we look for joy in this time, let’s turn together to God and let him be our hope.