By: Grace Metzger
faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
Recently I've had to work with people who spend 99% of their day completely miserable and make it well known that they are not happy. This is something that has driven me quite insane, when speaking to one of them about this they admitted that they don't want to change their ways. He talked about ways he's tried to make himself happy in the past through love, medication, chasing his passions, and focusing on himself. He gave up once he realized that none of these things brought him real joy. I quickly realized that all those things are what the world said would make him happy, not what the Bible said would bring him joy.
the hopes of the wicked come to nothing.
I dove into what the Bible says about joy and found Proverbs 10:28. I had a bit of trouble understanding it at first, I've known a lot of people who aren't saved and they've had wonderful things happen to them. These people had money, career, health, etc and I couldn't understand why God said the hopes of the wicked come to nothing when I see proof of the wicked prospering. This thought stuck in my head for a bit to be honest, until I thought about the old saying, "money doesn't buy you happiness." sure from the outside looking in these people had the perfect life. But when you actually are living that life it's not as great as you think, with these people still struggling to find joy.
Before we get to far I do want to state that Christians can struggle with joy too. I've known many who face depression despite being a believer. But I think back to times where Joy felt absent in my life and I can see that during those times I wasn't dwelling in the load. Strength and Joy are God's dwelling place so if we are with God then we will be dwelling in strength and joy as well.
When you are facing a hard time how do you prioritize your relationship with God? That was the hardest part for me when I faced struggles in the past and because of it I could see the negative impacts it had on my mental health. Not being with God can affect your mental health!
joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand
Being in God's presence will give you an indescribable joy that you can not experience in the world. The world today will tell you that your job, friends, or family can be where you find joy and although those things are great and can give you a small sense of joy it's not even comparable to the sense of Joy God gives you!
I challenge you this week to dedicate time to be in God's presence, it doesn't need to be this two hour thing that you do at 4am every single morning. Just start with five minutes that you can dedicate to just time with you and Him. Do it for a week straight and you will notice a change!
Discussion Question!
How do you ensure you're prioritizing your relationship with God during a season of busyness?
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