Has Anyone Seen My Joy?Sample

Joy and suffering

Life is not perfect, and you have probably experienced that yourself. Health issues, unemployment, and family hardships are a reality even for Christians. What happens to joy in these moments? Where does joy go when suffering strikes?

In the New Testament, joy is often linked to suffering. James actually instructs his readers to see their trials as joy. In the context of this letter, these trials usually meant persecution and possible death. Can you imagine feeling joyful in this scenario?

The truth is that godly joy is most beautifully expressed when hardships come. Whenever health fails, finances shake, and happiness is gone, we truly see joy in action. Happiness is like a friend who likes to hang out when you have money or something to offer. When these things are gone, so is happiness. Joy, however, remains.

Joy will be there in the good times and the bad because it comes from the One who is there through the ugly and the beautiful. Whatever situations have been trying to steal your peace and joy will have the opposite effect. Trials will strengthen your faith, and problems will see you laughing as you look up to the heavens.

The prophet Habakkuk poses us a challenge in this matter. The lack of figs, grapes, olives, and sheep at that time meant chaos. No food, no money, no assurance. Yet, he learned to rejoice in God in such situations. Can we say the same? If not, would we like to?

Habakkuk teaches us that our joy comes from something much greater than grapes and sheep, money and status, friends, and success. He teaches us that even when life is uncertain, we can rejoice. The reason is very simple: our joy comes from our Savior.