Yesterday in church we talked about joy. You can have joy in the middle of things that are not joyful (2 Corinthians 4:7-18 & 6:10a). Not that you’ll be jumping around with a smile saying, “Boy, am I glad I’m in too deep!” But when you have God in your heart and life, it will be readily apparent in how you respond to your troubles (Acts 16:23-35).
While good feelings certainly do come with joy, do not rob yourself of joy’s full experience by limiting it solely to feelings. Keep your focus where it needs to be: on Jesus. Fill your life with the right things. Follow the Savior and obey Him. Joy is something you receive and cultivate.
Rejoice in God in the midst of your problems. You have all of this in context. This isn’t the end. This may actually end up being the best thing that ever happened to you. Through it all you have God’s strength and peace completely available to you. God loves you, and this will be for your good. It may also even be for someone else’s good.
Joy may not always be expressed through laughter, but with God’s true joy in your life it can always be full! (John 15:8-11)