5 Ways to Be Joyful in Difficult Times
- Whitney Hopler Crosswalk.com Contributing Writer
- Updated Feb 28, 2022
The Bible encourages you to be joyful at all times. “Rejoice in the Lord always,” Philippians 4:4 says. “I will say it again: Rejoice!” When you’re facing hard times, however, rejoicing can be challenging. It’s natural to grapple with negative emotions during negative circumstances. However, you can work through those emotions in ways that lead you to God, who is the source of joy. By connecting with God’s presence with you in difficult situations, you can still experience joy in the midst of difficulty. Here’s how to be joyful in difficult times:
Start with Small Yet Significant Habits
Starting with small habits that can help understand how to be joyful makes it easy to move forward, even when you’re stressed by difficult circumstances. Small habits don’t take much time and energy from you, yet when you pursue them with a sense of purpose, they can make a significant impact on your ability to discover joy.
The first and most foundational habit to establish for finding joy is asking the Holy Spirit to renew your mind, every single day. Romans 12:2 urges: “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Mind renewal happens through inspiration from the Holy Spirit, who serves as our counselor, advocate, helper, comforter, and teacher (John 14:26). When we ask the Holy Spirit to renew our minds, we count on experiencing joy as a result. That’s because joy is one of the nine attitudes that the Holy Spirit helps us develop. Galatians 5:22-23 tells us: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”
As the Holy Spirit renews your mind, you’ll gain the ability to see situations more clearly – from an accurate perspective that reflects God’s truth. The Spirit will direct your attention to what matters most, including joy.
Another small yet significant habit you can practice regularly is choosing how to respond to your thoughts. When negative thoughts enter your mind, take them captive rather than dwelling on them. 2 Corinthians 10:5 declares: “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” Taking your thoughts captive means stopping them before they progress to harmful thoughts like worry and bitterness, examining them to see whether or not they align with God’s truth, and discarding them if they don’t. Your mind is a God-given treasure. It is too valuable for you to allow untrue thoughts to reside there.
The thoughts that are worth taking up space in your mind are the types of thoughts that Philippians 4:8 describes: “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things.” By intentionally focusing on positive thoughts like those, you’ll improve your ability to notice the joy that God is offering you.
Study and Memorize the Word
Filling your mind with God’s messages to you in his Word, the Bible, can help you stay focused on joy in any type of circumstances. Here are key Bible verses on joy to study and memorize for encouragement during difficult times:
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” – Romans 15:13
“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.” – James 1:2-3
“So with you: 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
“Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” – 1 Peter 1:8-9
“… those the LORD has rescued will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.” – Isaiah 35:10
“… weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.” – Psalm 30:5
“… This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.” – Nehemiah 8:10
Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/Halfpoint
Look for Reasons to Celebrate
Another vital way to discover how to be joyful in difficulty is to look for reasons to celebrate in any type of circumstances. Holidays can help you do so. In my book Wake Up to Wonder, I describe how every single day of the calendar has been designed a holiday of some kind. Those wonderful holidays include these, which you can try celebrating in every month of the year: Step in a Puddle and Splash Your Friends Day (January 11th), Inventors Day (February 11th), Write Down Your Story Day (March 14th), Talk Like Shakespeare Day (April 23rd), Lost Sock Memorial Day (May 9th), Say Something Nice Day (June 1st), Creative Ice Cream Flavors Day (July 1st), Tell a Joke Day (August 16th), Dance Day (September 21st), Random Acts of Poetry Day (October 2nd), Play Monopoly Day (November 19th), and Pretend to be a Time Traveler Day (December 8th). Since humor is an especially fun way to discover joy, here are some holidays on the weirder side of wonderful to consider celebrating each month: Big Wig Day (January 31st), Home Warranty Day (February 10th), Turkey Neck Soup Day (March 30th), Hairball Awareness Day (April 24th), Lumpy Rug Day (May 2nd), Axe Throwing Day (June 13th), Tape Measure Day (July 14th), Underwear Day (August 2nd), Be Late for Something Day (September 5th), Moldy Cheese Day (October 9th), Toilet Day (November 18th), and Pick a Pathologist Day (December 13th). Looking for reasons to celebrate encourages you to approach every day as a gift from God to embrace to the fullest. When you do so, you’re bound to discover joy along the way.
Give Thanks for Your Blessings
Gratitude helps you find joy by directing your focus to the many blessings God has poured into your life. Even in difficult times, you can still find many blessings for which you can be grateful. Remember that even your next breath is a gift from God. Don’t take anything for granted. Consider keeping a gratitude journal, where you write down a list of blessings daily and study your past entries whenever you need encouragement. Another gratitude practice to try is to give thanks in prayer for the good parts of your day at bedtime before you go to sleep. You’ll be sure to find something good, no matter what. Simple blessings – like a smile from your child, a cuddle from your pet, or a delicious meal – can bring you profound joy when you make time to savor them. The more you express gratitude, the more you train your mind to look for blessings. Since blessings are evidence of God’s work in your life, they point you toward God, who can give you the joy you need.
Stay in Frequent Communication with God
God is the source of all joy, so it’s important to communicate with him frequently to stay focused on joy. Prayer (talking to God) and meditation (listening to God) help you stay in touch with your loving Creator. In order to do so often, start prayer and meditation habits you’ll enjoy. Approach your time with God as an opportunity rather than as an obligation. You’ll be motivated to communicate with God frequently when you do so in ways that spark wonder in your soul. Don’t hesitate to let go of methods for praying and meditating that don’t come naturally to you. Try out fresh ways of communicating that help you notice and enjoy God’s presence more.
You can also choose to stay in a prayer state of mind constantly, in which you’re turning everything in your life over to God. Philippians 4:6 encourages you not to worry about anything, but instead to pray about everything. So, rather than worrying about your difficult circumstances, you can trust God to help you with them in each moment. Doing so will help you become more aware of God’s constant presence with you. Psalm 16:11 says of God: “You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence…”.
Conclusion
Happiness can elude you since it’s based on good circumstances. However, joy is always within your reach. You have the power to choose joy, regardless of your circumstances. When you’re facing difficult times, lean into your relationship with God. God will show you how to be joyful in any situation. You’ll find joy in God’s presence no matter what difficulties you’re going through, because God will walk through them with you!
Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/Kerkez
