How to be joyful
Have you ever had one of those days where everything is going really well, and even better than you could hope for: you’re happy; you feel on top of the world; you feel God smiling on you? And then, out of nowhere, something happens, you get bad news, or someone says or does something that turns everything upside down. The joy, the inspiration, and closeness to God you felt just evaporated and suddenly it feels like you’re in a pit of quick sand. You just want to figure out how to be joyful.
Or have you ever been having a great day, and something terrible happened, you got bad news, or someone said or did something negative or critical, but it didn’t turn the world upside down? Instead of losing your joy, you looked at the situation through the lens of your joy and held onto your joy.
Well, I have responded to bad news or situations in both these ways. And I definitely recommend the second.
My year in France
When I was in college, I spent my junior year in France. I had a really amazing time there. I had become about 95% fluent in French, had gotten to visit some amazing historical sites, museums, and beautiful country sides. I had made some really good friends. I had found a little French church to attend which helped me grow spiritually that year.
I really did feel on top of the world.
But then, the last week we were there, one of the girls in our program had a birthday party and only invited half of the kids in our group of 30 or so students. My roommate was invited, but I wasn’t.
I spent the early part of that evening talking to some of the others who weren’t invited, and we tried to pretend it didn’t matter. But when I came back to my room, I felt so alone and left out. I literally curled up on my bed and cried for about 15 minutes.
Now it doesn’t seem like that big of a deal now, but at the time, I was devastated.
But I finally dried my tears, and the thought hit me: If people don’t like me the way I am, and they don’t like who I am, then I don’t want to be at their party.
No one could take away my joy
Suddenly I felt a huge sense of relief. Why did I care about whether that girl invited me to her party or not? It was more important for me to be myself. Gratitude for the wonderful year in France swept over me and I once more felt the joy of everything I had done and accomplished. That person’s actions could not take away my joy.
Now, I realize this is not the most challenging kind of situation you might have dealt with in the past or are facing right now. And it’s not the worst challenge I’ve faced in the many years since. But it has served as a metaphor for how I can try not to be too influenced by what others say or do, or when I get bad news, or something terrible happens.
The question I ask myself is: How can I hold onto my joy when these negative situations come up?
Well, probably what we first have to talk about is what joy actually is.
Lots of joy in the Bible
The Bible talks a lot about joy.
Do you remember when King David was going to bring back the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem? There was great joy because of that.
Then David spoke to the leaders of the Levites to appoint their brethren to be the singers accompanied by instruments of music, stringed instruments, harps, and cymbals, by raising the voice with resounding joy.
So David, the elders of Israel, and the captains over thousands went to bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD from the house of Obed-Edom with joy. 1 Chronicles 15:16, 25 NKJV
There’s a lot more to this story, but the main point is that everyone was full of joy because the Ark of the Covenant was returning to Jerusalem after it had been captured many years before by the Philistines. It’s presence had caused problems for the Philistines and to get rid of it, they put it on a cart pulled by two cows, which brought it back to Israel. Years later, it wound up in Obed-Edom’s house and that’s where David got it, to return it to Jerusalem.
The point here is that when the Ark of the Covenant returned to Jerusalem, it brought great joy to the Israelites.
Joy is deep within
Joy is not the kind of happiness which comes because you got a new job, you did well on a test at school, or someone gave you a wonderful surprise. It goes much deeper than that.
The joy the Israelites felt was a profound inner and outer rejoicing because the most important symbol of their covenant with God had come back to them. The Ark represented their relationship with God. This relationship with God was their spiritual inheritance, you could say.
The joy came for two reasons. First, the Ark, this tangible symbol of their covenant with God was returned. But more importantly, this covenant, this relationship with God, was something within them. Whether the Ark was physically present or not, their relationship with God was still intact. This added to the joy they felt when the Ark came back to Jerusalem.
How does this apply to you and me today? Well, we don’t need the physical Ark of the Covenant to know and joyfully obey the Ten Commandments, which were inside it, or to be joyful that we are God’s children.
The thing about joy is that it wells up from within, because of something that is innate within us, something that is already part of us, for example, our relationship or covenant with God.
How to be joyful: be in God’s presence
Here’s one of my favorite verses about joy:
You [God] will show me the way of life,
granting me the joy of your presence
and the pleasures of living with you forever. Psalm 16:11 NLT
I love that phrase, “the joy of your presence.” Take a moment and ponder what that means. You are in God’s presence right now. You’re always in God’s presence. There’s no place you can be where God is not present.
You may not always be aware of or feel God’s presence, but He is with you this and every moment, in every situation.
God is always with you
And that’s another reason we can experience joy, even when circumstances are challenging or threatening, because right in the midst of whatever negative is going on, God is present with you.
This is how David puts it in Psalm 139
Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. Psalm 139:7-10 NIV
Now you may be thinking: Hey James, this sounds great but when I’m in the middle of a tough situation, I don’t always remember God is with me. I get so absorbed in the problem, I don’t always think about God until later.
Well, the good news is that God is present, is with you, whether you remember it or not. His presence doesn’t depend on you being aware of it.
How to be joyful when you forget God is with you
If you have trouble remembering God is present when a calamity knocks at your door, be proactive. You can pray right now to acknowledge that God is with you, whatever situation may come up in the future. For example: Thank you God for being present with me if a challenging situation comes up. I know You will be with me, even if I don’t feel it at the time. Please help me to feel the joy of Your presence in every situation.
The more you practice feeling God’s presence in your everyday life, the more you’ll experience God’s presence when challenges pop up. And back to this idea of joy, when you are truly aware of God’s presence, you will automatically be full of joy. They go hand in hand.
This joy of being with God, and being aware of His love for you and your relationship with Him, is not a weather vane that is happy one minute and sad the next, based on circumstances. Joy is an internal quality and condition of who you are as a child of God.
The more you feel this deep spiritual connection with God, the less you’ll be influenced when terrible things happen or you get bad news.
Nothing can take away your true joy, your connection with God. There may be times when it feels like circumstances have robbed you of your joy, like when I didn’t get invited to that party. But your joy is actually still there, still part of who you are as a child of God. And you can return to it as quick as you can blink your eyes.
How to be joyful: express gratitude
If you do find yourself in a situation where you feel your joy has disappeared, one of the quickest ways to rediscover it is to express gratitude. And it can be gratitude for the tiniest little thing.
If you can’t think of anything to be grateful for, just pick out the littlest detail of daily life, which may not be so little after all.
For example: I’m grateful I’m breathing. I’m grateful for light switches. I’m grateful for the late afternoon sunshine on the trunks of trees.
Start with whatever you see in front of you. If it’s raining when you wish it wasn’t, be grateful for the rain. If some situation comes up that tries to take away your joy, be grateful for the opportunity to see how God will protect and guide you through it.
And you can always be grateful for the ways God has blessed you in the past. And while you’re at it, thank Him for all the ways he will bless you in the future.
Pretty soon, you’ll be thanking God for your relationship with Him, and simply for being present. And this reveals the innate joy God has already put in your heart.
Jesus lived a life full of joy
The best example in the Bible of joy and how to express it is in the life of Jesus.
In fact, Jesus’s very appearance on earth was cause for great joy.
Remember what the angel said to the shepherds the night he was born.
But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.” Luke 2:10, 11 NIV
And by the way, if you ever think you don’t have anything to be grateful for, be grateful and full of joy that Jesus was born. The angel promised that his birth ”will cause great joy for all the people.” That includes you and me.
How to be joyful: discover the kingdom of God
Throughout his ministry Jesus talked often of the joy that comes when we discover the kingdom of God.
Remember the parable of the man who found treasure in a field?
The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. Matthew 13:44 NIV
Jesus is pointing out that when we discover the treasure of the kingdom, we are joyful. Why? Because we discover that we are citizens of the kingdom of heaven. It is our divine inheritance. And we not just willingly, but joyfully, relinquish things and thoughts that get in the way of us appreciating and accepting God’s kingdom.
When the world crushes your joy
But Jesus knew that we would face challenges, that the world would try to stomp out our joy. And he had a very different perspective on what’s going on when challenges come up, when people treat us unfairly or purposefully harm us.
He puts it this way,
Blessed are you when people hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their ancestors treated the prophets. Luke 6:22, 23 NIV
Think of all those times when the Pharisees said negative and derogatory things, and sometimes outright falsehoods, about Jesus. How did he respond?
We never actually see him literally leaping for joy, but that doesn’t mean he wasn’t leaping for joy in his heart. He knew his reward was in heaven, not on earth, not from man, but from God.In fact, once when people had rejected him and his message, he actually thanked God for not revealing the value of what he had to say to these unreceptive hearts.
At that time Jesus prayed this prayer: “O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding these things from those who think themselves wise and clever, and for revealing them to the childlike.” Matthew 11:25 NLT
I did a whole podcast episode called: What Was Jesus Thankful for, Episode 111. It goes into a lot more detail on this specific verse. Check it out.
Jesus’s temptation
Jesus certainly had his share of rejection and evil treatment from people and he gave us an example of how to respond, but he also experienced the pure essence of evil itself when the devil tempted him in the wilderness.
The real temptation was not to turn the rocks into bread, or to see if God would catch Jesus if he jumped off the temple, or to worship Satan. The real temptation was to doubt and disbelieve what God had revealed to Jesus when he was baptized by John.
Remember what happened right after Jesus came up out of the Jordan River.
As Jesus came up out of the water, he saw the heavens splitting apart and the Holy Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice from heaven said, “You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy.” Mark 1:10, 11 NLT
God called Jesus his “dearly loved Son.” Talk about a revelation from God about your spiritual identity. And notice, that God says Jesus brings Him much joy.
Immediately after his baptism, Jesus went into the wilderness. And what did the devil do? He put an “if” in front of what God said: If you are the Son of God…turn these stones into bread, etc.
How to be joyful: resist temptation
Have you ever had a revelation from God, maybe a clear insight to who you are as a child of God, and almost instantly, the temptation comes to doubt it? That’s what happened to Jesus. But he didn’t fall for that trick. He held onto his joy and the joy God had in him.
Don’t be surprised if materialistic and/or evil influences in the world try to reverse your joy, your inspiration, your revelations from God. It happened even to Jesus. But we can find courage and strength in his example.
James has this to say on this very topic. It may seem a little counterintuitive at first, but there is deep spiritual wisdom here.
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. James 1:2-4 NIV
This is kind of the same idea Jesus talks about when he says we should leap for joy when we’re treated inappropriately.
Jesus’s joy before the crucifixion
On the night before his crucifixion, Jesus was preparing his disciples for what was about to happen and how it would affect them. It’s interesting to me, given the fact he knew the devastation his crucifixion would cause them, that Jesus repeatedly refers to joy.
Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy. John 16:22 NIV
This is a promise to you and me as well. No matter what happens, no matter what someone says or does, no matter how severely you are tempted by the devil, nothing can “take away your joy.”
And this isn’t all Jesus says about joy, just hours before he was crucified. He knew what was going to happen. And in the midst of it all he was talking about his joy and his disciples’ joy. He really was kind of leaping for joy after all.
As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. John 15:9-11 NIV
Why was Jesus full of joy?
Think about that for a minute. Jesus could have been preoccupied with the coming crucifixion, but he focused on joy instead. What was the joy Jesus felt right then? Several things I think. He rejoiced that he had been, and would be obedient to God each step of the way during his ministry and now on the path to the cross.
He was full of joy because he felt his Father’s love and shared it with his disciples. He was joyful because he had loved these disciples and taught them their first lessons in what it meant to follow and be like him.
Above all, he was full of joy because he knew that God would deliver him from death, would raise him from the grave, and thereby give proof of God’s absolute love and power to save not just Jesus from death, but all mankind.
God’s joy for you
When tough situations come up, when you are persecuted for your faith, when you are tempted by the world’s ways and means, no matter what happens, nothing can take away your innate, God-given joy. And nothing can take away the joy God has for you, even when you’re in a challenging situation or have made mistakes.
The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing. Zephaniah 3:17 KJV
God has so much joy in His heart for you that it causes Him to sing. This is what fills your heart with joy.
Be still and listen for God’s song of joy rejoicing over you.
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James Early, the Jesus Mindset Coach, is a Bible teacher, speaker, and podcaster. He conducts Bible workshops online and in person. His focus is on getting back to the original Christianity of Jesus by embracing the mindset of Christ in daily life. Contact him here.
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Bible References
1 Chronicles 15:16, 25 NKJV
16 Then David spoke to the leaders of the Levites to appoint their brethren to be the singers accompanied by instruments of music, stringed instruments, harps, and cymbals, by raising the voice with resounding joy.
25 So David, the elders of Israel, and the captains over thousands went to bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD from the house of Obed-Edom with joy.
Psalm 16:11 NLT
11 You [God] will show me the way of life,
granting me the joy of your presence
and the pleasures of living with you forever.
Psalm 139:7-10 NIV
7 Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?
8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea,
10 even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.
Luke 2:10, 11 NIV
10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.
11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.
Matthew 13:44 NIV
44 The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.
Luke 6:22, 23 NIV
22 Blessed are you when people hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man.
23 Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their ancestors treated the prophets.
Matthew 11:25 NLT
25 At that time Jesus prayed this prayer: “O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding these things from those who think themselves wise and clever, and for revealing them to the childlike.”
Mark 1:10, 11 NLT
10 As Jesus came up out of the water, he saw the heavens splitting apart and the Holy Spirit descending on him like a dove.
11 And a voice from heaven said, “You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy.”
James 1:2-4 NIV
2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds,
3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.
4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
John 16:22 NIV
22 Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.
John 15:9-11 NIV
9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.
10 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love.
11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.
Zephaniah 3:17 KJV
17 The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.
