Quick Question: How Do I Find Joy?Sample

When we go through hard times in life, usually the last thing on our mind is “how can I be joyful in this hard time?” It can be easy to become fearful during hard times or take our eyes off of Jesus and the joy that He gives. In the book of James, James, the brother of Jesus, wrote to a group of people who were being persecuted for their faith. He encouraged them and told them to consider their tough circumstances as opportunities to be joyful because God can use our hard circumstances to develop endurance. When we come out of a hard time, we have the opportunity to then look back and see how God was with us during that time and grew our endurance even when the situation was difficult. We can have joy because God is developing endurance in us!

Challenge: Today we challenge you to think about a time in your life that was hard and identify the ways that you can see that God was still with you even through that hard time. (The presence of a friend, people praying for you, peace in your circumstances, etc.) Then, take time today to thank God for being with you during that time, and thank Him for the endurance that He is producing in you through tough circumstances. Ask Him to be with you now and in the future, no matter what your circumstances will look like.