Are You Hungry for Joy?
When joy feels as far away as the moon, what can we do?
Is it possible to go out and find joy again?
When we don’t have joy, it likely means we have taken a wrong turn somewhere in our thoughts. We are driving down a mental street that doesn’t lead to the joy center of our brain. The street is a dead end, and it sure doesn’t help us focus on the truth of the Lord and the good things He has for us.
When we have turned down the wrong street, our thoughts seem logical and very realistic, but they are dark. They do not have the light of Jesus.
“I am a boring person, and I don’t contribute anything special.”
“My child is making horrible choices, and I don’t think God is going to step in and save her.”
“Nothing I do for God is good enough. I might as well give up.”
What we need is a different road—one that looks more like Jesus and what He is thinking. His road is full of light, and when we turn in His direction, we can’t help but feel lighter.
Choosing a Different Route
A huge part of rediscovering—and then keeping—our joy is paying attention to what we’re thinking about. Our thoughts can lead us to life and joy, or they can lead us to depression, anxiety, heaviness, and dead ends.
It doesn’t matter who we are, how we’re gifted, or whether or not we think we have a significant calling. The enemy is the “accuser of the brethren,” and he constantly tries to worm his way into our thoughts and twist them, so we start thinking things that do not match what God is thinking.
The Word says to “have the mind of Christ.” His mind is what we need. When we think His thoughts, His joy becomes our joy. We start experiencing the lightness of His presence and the sensation of His pleasure for us.
How Do We Adopt the Mind of Christ?
These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full. (John 15:11 NASB)
If we don’t have joy right now, we need to spend more time with the Lord. Hearing His voice will cause our joy to be “made full.”
Having the mind of Christ takes discipline—particularly the discipline of capturing our every thought and making it obey Christ.
“The calling of God on my life is a huge adventure.”
“He has given me all things to enjoy, just like His Word says.”
Jesus did only what His Father was doing, and He said only what His Father was saying. Mirroring someone this way takes knowing them on a deep, intimate level. As the Church, we need to know our Father the way Jesus knows Him. Jesus—who shares His joy with His words.
Are You Hungry for Joy?
If you’re longing for the joy of the Lord, here are three things you can do:
- Turn your attention to the Lord and worship Him.
- Spend time in quietness with Him, listening to His voice.
- Take your thoughts captive, and align them with what He is thinking and saying.