Breathe Again: A 7-Day PlanSample

Scripture and science both tell us that we need to be happy to be healthy. Joy helps us cope better with life and is good for our emotional and physical health. But life doesn’t always deal us situations to be happy about. So, how in the world are we to find joy in the middle of pain, crisis, and disappointment?

First, we need to know what real joy is. Joy referred to by Scripture is gladness not based on emotions or circumstance, but on who Jesus is and His promises to us. It flows from the fixation of our mind’s eye. “Joy is a focus long before it’s a feeling, and our feelings overflow from our focus.” 

To cultivate real joy in your life, it’s worth asking: Where is my stare? What is my internal focus gazing upon? Is it on what life used to be, what others have, or the pain you’re now feeling? Or is it on Jesus and His faithfulness, no matter how your circumstances appear? 

Our joy follows our stare. You can’t have roaming eyes and sustain joy. But let me be truthful. After losing my daughter, that focus on Jesus didn’t come easily for me. I had to choose to have it and fight to keep it. Some days that was hard, but the Holy Spirit always brought me back to His faithfulness. 

The joy that comes from Jesus carries us beyond a moment of laughter and gives us stability in times of pain. Choosing joy may not change our circumstances. But it can change our outlook, which will buffer us from some of our problems’ harmful effects. 

Today, give joy the credit it deserves. Put effort into cultivating it in your heart by focusing on God’s faithfulness.