Feb 14, 2022
Humans are "wired" to experience joy. What exactly is joy
you ask? Joy is the emotion evoked by well being,
success, good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one
desires. So take a moment and consider
this: When was last time you experienced joy?
In 2018 a report came out stating that the life expectancy of
Americans dropped for the second year in a row. In a
surprising statement from Dr. Steven Woolf, a co-author of this
report, there were two causes for this drop: the opioid crisis and
despair. Simply put, Americans weren't finding much joy in
living.
We were created for joy, yet most people weren't finding it.
One of the reasons is because so many folks have become dependent
on supplementing with "cheap joy".
"Cheap joy" can be found in a number of places, for example there
is joy found in purchasing that item you have been dreaming about,
and it's all fine and good until the credit card bill comes the
following month. There is joy found in having a favorite
sports team that wins the big game...only to have them lose every
game the next seasons. There is joy found in beginning a new
relationship with someone who "checks all the boxes", until they
turn out to be a jerk!
If our only source of joy can be so fickle, no wonder people find
themselves constantly dealing with hurts, habits and hang
ups! So where do we find our joy? Is it possible that
the one who created us, can also supply us with joy?
In
Psalm 126, the psalmist focuses in on the ebb and flow of joy as
God's people pursue him. Sometimes the joy is overwhelming,
like a dream. In other seasons, the joy is absent, like
walking through a desert. Following God is literally like a
roller coaster, but here's the strange paradox of
joy: it's best experienced after a season of
struggle.
So here is what we learn, no matter what season of life you find
yourself in, trust in the Lord...and the joy will
come.
Do you want to learn more about how this can work in your life? Give a listen to part seven of Long Obedience in the Same Direction.