Longing for JoySample

Telling Our Story

Philosopher Robert Roberts highlights a moment in ancient Israel to illustrate how the stories we tell shape our emotions. After being exiled to Babylon for seventy years, some Israelites returned to a homeland in disarray. Their temple—the place where heaven intersects with earth—was destroyed, marking a harrowing and traumatic experience.

Upon returning, the people began to reconstruct the temple. When the foundation was laid, the younger generation rejoiced, while the older generation grieved. The emotional divide stemmed from their differing narratives. The younger generation celebrated renewal and new possibilities, viewing God’s goodness in their return. In contrast, the older generation mourned history and loss, feeling that the new temple could never measure up to the old. One story cultivated joy, the other grief.

Our stories influence our emotions.

The people of God have always been a storytelling community. In the Hebraic tradition, individuals rehearsed moments, scenes, and chapters that made up their lives within the master story of the Exodus. For those in whom Christ resides, we recount our stories within the life, death, resurrection, ascension, and expected return of Jesus. When we share the story of the Father who delights in the Son, and the Son who rejoices in the Father through the Spirit, this joy infuses us. The Spirit writes the gospel into the pages of our lives, affirming that joy thrives when we share the good story.

Consider this exercise: Pray Psalm 107, which recounts tales of those in desert wastelands, imprisoned in darkness, or nearly capsized at sea. In each scenario, “they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distress.” Each experience concludes with the refrain, “Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love.”

Add your story of distress and deliverance to the end of the Psalm. Your story may or may not be as dramatic, but the beauty of any story lies not in its drama but in God’s work within it. Give thanks for his unfailing love, and joy will likely echo that gratitude too.