The Happy Days and the Ones That Aren'tSample

One of the biggest challenges in Scripture comes in Paul’s letter to the Philippians. In it, he writes that we should always have joy. Wait… always?! That seems impossible, right? As high schoolers, we experience a variety of emotions on the daily. So, how can we always be full of joy? Well, the good news is that we can always access joy because it doesn’t come from us. We find real joy in God! That means joy can still be possible no matter what we’re experiencing or even feeling on a day-to-day basis.

We can find joy in any season or circumstance when we look to God to provide it. Does that mean we magically feel better about whatever we’re going through? Will we never deal with difficult feelings again? Sadly, no! Not only is that not real life, but ignoring our other feelings isn’t healthy either! What this does mean is that we can hold what we’re feeling — whatever we’re feeling — right alongside the joy we find in the presence of God.

Today, start making a list of the ways you experience joy. Big or small, write it down as a reminder that, even as you’re walking through difficult moments or feeling hard feelings, joy is still possible because of God.