It’s a tough season for my family. It’s not the toughest it could be. We’re all (mostly) healthy. We’re not looking to move or leave our jobs anytime soon. We’ve settled into a rhythm of sorts. And yet, we feel a bit more strapped and stressed than ever. If I’m being honest, I want a roadmap out of the tough. Maybe you can relate to this feeling?
When we’re feeling stretched thin, we often tend to forget to focus our family on Scripture. This is especially a problem when we’re lacking in the joy department. Let’s turn to four verses that help us remember where our joy is and what to do when we feel a lack of joy.
Pray and Praise (James 5:13)
Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise.
I love that this verse in James gives us permission to feel and then gives us specific instructions. It doesn’t say, Find the person with the most suffering or the most joy and then act. God’s Word is not commanding us to do that. It says anyone. It’s easy to bypass our family’s own stuff because it’s not as bad or as good as someone else’s. So what does Scripture say to do? Scripture tells us to pray and praise.
When things are difficult, remember God’s promise to hear and answer every prayer. Sometimes though, it can be hard to pray for something that’s bothering or antagonizing us. In the moment, we are not reminded of that piece of life. And the reverse is true too! It’s sometimes hard to remember to bring praise to the Creator and Redeemer for little wins or good things. A tip I try to remember is to think through petitions and praise with the categories home, church, work, and world. What are my prayers in each of these places? What do I need to celebrate?
Good and Bad (Romans 12:9)
Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.
Again, this verse gives us a to-do list of sorts. There are two specific requests: (1) “abhor what is evil” and (2) “hold fast to what is good.” But how do we do this? As theologians of the cross, we call things what they are because of Jesus’ suffering on the cross. We don’t call Jesus’ suffering and death good; we call it excruciating, painful, evil. It’s His triumph over death and this suffering that is good. His death on the cross is not the good part of the story.
Name the things that aren’t going well—the tough stuff—and own it. For my family, it seems as if there is never enough time. I hate that we are not able to connect as spouses in this season. It’s hard that our girls don’t sleep well.
Then, do the reverse: name the positives—the good stuff. We’re blessed to have a church community we’re so involved with. I’m fortunate to have a spouse who I miss when we’re busy with jobs and parenting. It’s good that our daughters know they can come to us when they’re upset, sick, or scared.
We can hold fast to what is light, and we can treat the things that are bad as bad.
In God’s Hands (Ecclesiastes 7:14)
In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider: God has made the one as well as the other, so that man may not find out anything that will be after him.
If I were categorizing the books of the Bible into emotions, Ecclesiastes would be sadness. (Lamentations, Job, and Jeremiah would also be in this category.) I mean, the writer of Ecclesiastes, Solomon, starts the book by saying everything is meaningless. But even in this book, which tells us that everything we do is vanity, the Word reminds us that God’s works are not. And God has crafted each millisecond. We can rest knowing that our God keeps His promises to work all for our good, wipe away every tear, and make all things new.
Joyful Faith (1 Peter 1:8)
Though you have not seen Him, you love Him. Though you do not now see Him, you believe in Him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory.
Through this verse, I am reminded of the incredible work of our Lord. That through time and space, the God of the universe worked me into His salvation story. While I was meditating on this verse, I started thinking about my senses. I haven’t seen Jesus, but I have received His true body and blood through the bread and wine I have tasted and touched. Through Communion, Jesus created a tactile way to meet His forgiveness. I believe in Jesus and can always find joy knowing that He meets me where He says He will.
Scripture: ESV®.
Use this month’s Everyday Faith Calendar to find joy in the “tough stuff” and the “good stuff.”
