It’s hard maintaining joy in the Lord. My dear sister, you’re not alone when your heart grows cold toward the Lord, when you’re spiritually dry, when the fire only smolders—when the joy is gone. You are not alone.
But to comfort you, sweet friend, it’s not enough to say you’re not alone. Misery might love company, but company can’t change misery. I write to encourage and exhort you to find your joy again…by looking in the right places.
No one goes to McDonald’s to order fillet mignon. Yet this is what we do when we look for joy in the fleeting things of this world. Are you like me? Do you try to find joy in the comforts of life, in food, in silly distractions, in achievements, in the recognition of others, etc., etc.? I beg you to remember, sister, that joy is not found here. Let’s get out of McDonald’s.
What were we doing there anyway? We are daughters of the King! Our Father can afford to give us the best. And he already has. He has given us his only Son. We already possess the Living Water, the Bread of Life; everything else is just an imitation.
Your soul, oh beloved daughter of the King, refuses to be satisfied by the cheap junk food of worldly pleasures. The Spirit within you, the Spirit of Christ, craves the weighty, the transcendent, the beautiful, the true. You’re only truly satisfied by eternal things. Why is this so? Because you are a new creation and, like Christ, you’re deepest desire is for God. The weighty, the transcendent, the beautiful, the true, these all point us to God.
So sister, will you join me? Let’s stop this childish game of hide and seek; we know where joy isn’t found, so let’s stop looking there. Let’s stop gratifying our cravings for worldly pleasures. I’m sure you’ve noticed that giving in only creates a vicious cycle of stronger cravings, more frequent sin, and eventually, joylessness. Instead, let’s gratify the cravings of the Spirit within us for the things of God. I’m sure you’ve also noticed that this creates a happy cycle of stronger cravings, righteousness, and joyfulness.
Only feeding on Christ, only abiding in him can satisfy these cravings. John 15 tells us that abiding in Christ means depending on him for everything (including our joy) and obeying his commandments. We become satisfied and joyful when we feed on the food he’s given us for our soul. Oh sister, go head, please gratify your desires for the Word, for fellowship, for corporate worship, for time with the Lord, for good teaching, for good works. Trade in your junk food for real food and you will find joy.
And always remember, my dear sister, trust not in your own efforts to pull yourself out of the pit of joylessness. Humble yourself before the Lord. Admit you have not the joy he commands. Your faithful and loving Savior stands ready to embrace you in his arms, ready to draw you into his intimate presence and give you the joy you so long for. He is the very source of our joy, and he can never be taken away from us. His promises and steadfast love endure forever.
In Him,
your sis, Sarah