I often see the popular meme, “Choose joy” and it can make me feel condemned when I’m in agonizing pain, overwhelming fatigue, sad tears of loss, or just numb. If I’m not feeling emotionally happy, am I letting God down? Am I walking in sin? Am I making a “bad choice?” HOW can I ever choose joy? To me, that means I need to somehow create joy when it’s not there. It makes me want to hide my tears, plaster on a smile and pretend, mustering it up to somehow prove that I can do it…I can “choose joy.” I’ve been pondering this lately because our emotions are usually all over the place when we suffer.
I went looking—the Bible does not literally say, “Choose joy.” Yes, God tells us to rejoice, always (e.g., Phil. 4:4, 1 Thess. 5:16). But how? He tells us to “take joy” in Habakkuk 3. Hmmm!
The verb is “take.”
Oxford defines “take” as “to lay hold of (something) with one’s hands; reach for and hold.” This means the “something” or joy….already exists! To take it is to reach for something God has already created and given us. We don’t need to create joy as we suffer. This is God’s doing and He’s already done it. We simply take His gift of joy. There is no hiding or pretending or proving with our loving Savior. We humbly ask Him to help us take, receive, and hold onto His gift of joy, with God’s joy as our source of joy.
Let’s take joy together, sister in Christ.
Take joy in the God of my salvation, Jesus Christ, my Savior
Though the fig tree does not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines…yet I will take joy in the God of my salvation (Habb. 3:17-18 ESV, emphasis added).
O how great thy lovingkindness,
Vaster, broader than the sea!
O how marvelous thy goodness
Lavished all on me!
(“Jesus, I am Resting, Resting,” Piggott, J. S., 1876)
Though you do not now see 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, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls (1 Pet. 1:8-9 ESV, emphasis added).
Yes, I rest in thee, Beloved,
Know what wealth of grace is thine,
Know thy certainty of promise
And have made it mine.
Take joy in God’s love for me, in Christ
As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love (Jn. 15:9 ESV).
Jesus, I am resting, resting
In the joy of what thou art;
I am finding out the greatness
Of thy loving heart.
Take joy in the Holy Spirit’s indwelling presence in me, giving me God’s joy
And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper to be with you forever (Jn. 14:16 ESV).
Apart from me, you can do nothing (Jn. 15:5 ESV).
These things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves (Jn. 17:13 ESV).
The fruit of the Spirit is…joy. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit (Gal. 2:22, 25 ESV).
Thou hast bid me gaze upon thee,
As thy beauty fills my soul,
For by thy transforming power,
Thou hast made me whole.
Ask God to fill me with His joy, in union with Christ
Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit (Ps. 51:12 ESV).
When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul (Ps. 94:19 ESV).
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope (Rom. 15:13 ESV).
Ever lift thy face upon me
As I work and wait for thee;
Resting ‘neath thy smile, Lord Jesus,
Earth’s dark shadows flee.
Brightness of my Father’s glory,
Sunshine of my Father’s face,
Keep me ever trusting, resting,
Fill me with thy grace.
Thank God for giving me His joy, in my suffering
Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices (Ps. 16:9 ESV).
Oh LORD, in your strength the king rejoices, and in your salvation how greatly he exults! (Ps. 21:1 ESV)
For you make him most blessed forever; you make him glad with the joy of your presence (Ps. 21:6 ESV).
For the LORD comforts Zion; he comforts all her waste places and makes her wilderness like Eden, her desert like the garden of the Lord; joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the voice of song (Is. 51:3 ESV).
His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence (2 Pet. 1:3 ESV).
Simply trusting thee, Lord Jesus,
I behold thee as thou art,
And thy love, so pure, so changeless,
Satisfies my heart;
Satisfies its deepest longings,
Meets, supplies its every need,
Compasseth me round with blessings:
Thine is love indeed.
A playlist to take joy, God’s joy!
Let’s sing-pray to the Lord! When I need the Lord’s help to take joy, Scriptural songs are His valuable gift. So I’ve professionally curated a playlist for those moments when I need to take joy in the gift of our salvation in Jesus Christ, in His indwelling Spirit’s presence and power, in His joy that gives me strength…when I have none. Can we have joy, even as we suffer? We can, by His Spirit’s work!
If it would bless you to pray-sing to Him also, just sign up here and my weekly playlist gifts will come to your email. This week, we sing to Jesus, our joy!
