How To Find Joy and Contentment
How do we find joy and contentment, over temporary worldly happiness? Joy is one of my favorite topics. One of my favorite verses of all time is Nehemiah 8:10, which reads, “Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” We probably would not think of overcoming our weaknesses with joy, but scripture is clear; joy is what gives us strength. Joy now becomes a weapon in our faith, which is pretty sweet to think about. The enemy wants us to be weak. When we are weak it is easier for him to bring us down from the purposes God has for us.
Psalm 118:24 says, “The Lord has done it this very day; let us rejoice today and be glad.” Many times, we may get down thinking today just isn’t “our day.” You know, the good news is, it never is our day to begin with; because each day belongs to God. This God happens to love us and cherish us more than we could ever love ourselves. We need to trust him, and then we will discover what it means to have joy. We have an example of how we can have joy in the worst of sufferings from Paul in Philippians 4:4 which says, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” Guess where Paul was when he said to rejoice? Prison. Prison simply for standing up for what he believes in; not because of anything he did wrong. One of the beautiful things is Paul had no clue at the time, that God was going to use the letters that he would write at this low time in his life to influence others for thousands of years. We can rejoice today knowing our current suffering or hardship is not in vain.
In Philippians 4:11-12, Paul continues to say, “I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in every and any situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.” He found joy, not because his situation or being in prison was good, but because God is. Habakkuk gives us another example in chapter 3:17-19, which says, “Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen, and no cattle in the stalls, yet, I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights.” In my life, I have noticed those who have Christ, first, through their love, then, I have noticed Him through their joy, contentment and grace.
As a believer, part of this joy comes from knowing we are going to heaven, meaning no matter what happens to us in this life, or how hard it gets, we always have hope. It does not mean we can’t enjoy the here and now as God’s goodness is evident today and every day, but that we can have joy even in the midst of the struggles and deep heartache this world inevitably will bring. Even though our circumstances, our needs, and our feelings change, God does not. As much as we feel our circumstances, our wants, our needs and our feelings are to dictate our happiness, there is no substitute for Jesus. To be content and have joy, we need to consciously remind ourselves God has everything under control and He is sovereign, even in the midst of the chaos. We need to pray with thanksgiving, knowing this is what God says the antidote is to relieve us of the everyday anxiety we face. Find joy knowing God is more concerned about your life than you are. Proverbs 17:22 says, “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” God wants you to keep your sense of humor. Listen, I am in the medical field and completely see every day and understand, medicine works and is a miracle and as well as counseling is too. However, our hearts and our lives can’t ultimately be changed apart from Christ.
To have joy and contentment starts with controlling of our minds. This takes practice because every day anxiousness and worries all start in the mind. You will think about what you focus on and where you direct yourself each day. What we consume ourselves with is where our minds will be, ultimately determining our lives. If we consume ourselves with Jesus, it is impossible to be near God and not have life and joy, as He supplies both. The opposite is also true – that it is impossible to be away from God and to have life. When separated from God, you are separated from the true source of joy. Philippians 4:7 says, “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
I know we have all been in church during worship next to that person, with their hands in the air…..waving them around like they just won the Super Bowl. Psalm 134:2 says to “lift up your hands in the sanctuary and praise the Lord.” Now, this is a complete personal conviction I am going to share and I do not want anyone to feel like they need to do this because it is completely between you and God. I was afraid to stand in church and lift up my hands because one, I did not do that growing up. My church did not do that; my family did not do that… definitely nothing I was used to. Two, I did not want my praise to be on display or distracting. Three, I flat out was uncomfortable! Especially if others around me were not doing it as well. Then finally, I realized who I am worshipping and surrendered my own insecurities as opposed to my pride. What truly convicted me was realizing as an athlete it is very natural for me to raise my hands at sporting events and when I play in games and matches, as well as when I would go to concerts. How could I not get even more excited for the very one who saved my soul?
It is extremely difficult to be anxious and worship at the same time, as well as to not have joy while worshiping. I mean, worship in itself produces joy. This is the essence of how God works. He gives us commands not because He is a dictator, but He knows what is best for us, His children. 2 Chronicles 20:21-22 says “Give thanks to the Lord, His love endures forever. As they began to praise and sing, the Lord set ambushes against the men invading Judah, and they were defeated.” Having joy requires gratefulness even when life gives us a lot of situations and circumstances that leave us feeling less than. Our weapon is our praise and joy. Frankly, it is the only one that works; as in this life, the struggles will never end. I love how the Bible literally shows us a physical display of how the Lord set up ambushes while His people were giving thanks with praise and singing. This tells us how His words heal our hearts in ways we may not feel or understand in the moment as you may not physically see ambushes being set up against all these trials in your life. Psalm 145:3 says, “Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom.”
In order to have joy every day, it has to be based on something that will never go away, something that is eternal. Many like to say “Follow your heart.” I like to think more along the lines of “lead your heart and feelings,” for God is the only one you should follow. Not everything that temporarily feels good, is good as our hearts may try to convince us otherwise. When we emphasize to people to follow their hearts as opposed to God, the Bible actually tells us “the heart is deceitful above all things” in Jeremiah 17:9. Our desires and dreams are great, as long as they align with God; otherwise, they are just going to hurt us.
God made us. He knows us better than we know ourselves. There is nothing wrong with following our hearts when they are the hearts that God intended us to have, bringing us away from deception. C.S. Lewis says, ”Look inside yourself and you will find hate, rage, loneliness and decay, but look for Christ and you will find him and with him, everything else.” Ecclesiastes 8:1 says, “Who is like the wise? Who knows the explanation of things? A person’s wisdom brightens their face and changes its hard appearance.” This wisdom means more knowledge of the Lord, which increases your joy, literally brightening your face. Daniel 12:3 says, “Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.” Those in him shine because we allow the Holy Spirit to work in us. I love how C.S. Lewis puts it that the sun does not play favorites, but it reflects brighter off of a clean mirror as opposed to a dusty mirror.
A great place to stand out is to find joy in your job and your work. I know this may be the craziest piece of advice I have said yet, but get passionate and excited about what you do. Do it with all your heart and you will be shocked how God works. We routinely see carpal tunnel releases at my clinic. And one time I had a patient ask me, “Do you always get this excited about carpal tunnel?” The funny thing is, I actually do genuinely enjoy my job, but you can too. Ask God to guide you to the job that will bring you the most joy, and if he doesn’t move you, and you’re at the same job, pray for him to show you the joy in what you are doing. He will show you. If your job continues to leave you feeling miserable, it may be time to start looking for what He’s created you for.
1 Timothy 6:6-8 says, “But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.” We brought nothing into this world and we will take no physical thing out. Things are not evil, but they can consume us. God wants us to know, we will take nothing out of the world in order to decrease the stress and load we feel from acquiring more and more. Proverbs 27:20 says, “Death and destruction are never satisfied, and neither are human eyes.” As we practice contentment, it will happen. His grace is sufficient for you. Have full confidence every day God does know your needs. Live in such a way your joy makes people wonder what this God is all about. Now, being content does not mean we are to be lazy. You can be happy, and enjoy the now and be content, while at the same time striving to better yourself. This is not a form of being passive with this contentment, because we can care, but at the same time it takes off the load and the burden.
It always helps to go back to the beginning. The fall of mankind happened because Satan tempted us saying we could “be like God.” Ever since, we as people have tried everything outside of God to bring us joy which has ultimately brought destruction. God created us and knows exactly what makes your heart skip a beat. You cannot function without him. It is like trying to hit a ball without a bat. You cannot know your purpose in life until you know the very One who created you for a purpose and for the purpose in the first place. Psalm 31:19 says, “How abundant are the good things that you have stored up for those who fear you.”
We do not find joy in trials because of the pain we go through, but we find joy knowing how God will use it. I do not want anyone to ever think God is specifically rejoicing in the pain we go through because, sin and our heartbreaks, break His heart even more than it breaks our own. Joy comes solely from having a relationship with him. I have encountered every emotion, just like you. Whether we admit it or not we have all experienced some form of anxiety, depression, fear, guilt, anger, jealousy, you name it. These emotions in the midst of my circumstances could never take away my joy, even when my trust in His goodness would waver. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says, “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this as the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
People tend to feel Christians live in a fake fairytale land trying to be happy as all these horrible things happen in the world. I want to say, as Christians, I speak for all of us. We are not called to fake it until we make it. We are called to give thanks within the suffering, genuinely. Because of Jesus, we are able to have peace genuinely in the circumstances. Matthew 5:14-16 says, “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” When you have joy, you have a light that is not meant to be hidden. There is no need to boast or become prideful because it comes naturally when you abide in Him. We perform our good deeds for God’s glory, and not our own. Proverbs 13:9 says, “The light of the righteous shines brightly.”2 Corinthians 4:6 says, “For God who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory, displayed in the face of Christ.” People will notice something different. Not perfection, but a light and a genuineness. Even though this light is within, there is something powerful it does in our expressions that we may never understand, since when we converse with others we cannot see our own face; but we trust that His Word is true. Ephesians 5:8-10 says, “For you were once darkness, but now in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists of all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what is pleasing to the Lord.” I am not trying to be good to make God love me, but because God loves me, I am able to produce good.
Psalm 34:4-5 says, “I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.” Shame is okay to feel for a moment, as it is good to have emotions or to feel bad when we hurt others so God can help us change our actions. However, we are not to live there, as Christ redeemed our shame. Part of understanding this redemption is what brings us this joy as you feel the weight of the chains falling off, bringing freedom. When we have Jesus, the Holy Spirit living in us. His light shines through this freedom.
I want to bring up how to find joy when it comes to our physical image. Being an athlete my entire life, it is easy to compare our bodies in many different ways, and I know this is not just for me as an athlete. I am very aware, every single one of us has done it at some point. Then I realized, though, who am I to critique the body that God designed me with? I am all about health by eating healthy foods, playing sports, training, exercising and it is a huge part of my career as an Occupational Therapist/Certified Hand and Upper Extremity Therapist. However, let’s say I am motivated and disciplined enough to be consistent in these categories. If we are not happy within Christ, we will still continue to not like how our body looks. I can promise you, because that’s just our human nature. The enemy wants to take what God makes awesome, amazing and good – hence us in our bodies – and twist our views of ourselves to disapprove with how we look. I am here to tell you it is a lie, as all he wants is to bring us down. He wants us to complain and grumble thinking nobody cares. If you get deep in this place – I know I have – I encourage you to worship. In the act of worshiping, you will not be able to complain and grumble. Give it a try. Now, let’s talk about the chase for joy and contentment that never does satisfy. For me personally, I desired so badly my whole life to be prom queen, just like my mom. I won it and thought now I can be content.
A little bit of time passes, and I realized it wasn’t enough. I then desired and competed to be Miss Southern Wisconsin – United States, Miss Madison, Wisconsin – United States, captain of my different sports teams, class president, different types of officers, received my master’s in occupational therapy, pursued my specialty as a certified hand therapist….and still continued to strive for more – playing different sports, grade school, high school, volleyball, basketball, softball, volleyball in college. I list these off for you because if you are striving after all of this too, please learn from me. It does not bring fulfillment. It’s not enough and it never will be. Not only does it not bring fulfillment, but it made me want more. First, in high school – homecoming attendant, then I want prom queen. Then I was nominated for different Miss Wisconsin regions. Then I was desiring to try to become Miss Wisconsin. Then I thought, “Oh, if I do that, then I could try to strive to be Miss America and be Miss World.” You guys see where I’m going with this? I mean, Proverbs 27:24 specifically says, “For riches do not endure forever, and a crown is not secure for all generations.” Same with sports. I competed when I was little, competed in high school, and then college, and then considered dreams of wanting to play professionally. All these desires are not bad or wrong. I want to emphasize dreams are a beautiful thing God puts on our hearts, and they are meant to be pursued, but they are not meant to fulfill. That is where I want the difference; they were not our Creator. The issue of having a dream fulfill you is this: Let’s do the example of if you’re a professional athlete. You have a career altering injury. Now what? Is the purpose of your life gone? Of course not. However, if we truly thought that your purpose was in your role as a professional athlete, you would think your life is over. These are not what you were purposefully and skillfully made from and for, even though they can be a huge and awesome part of your life, your relationship with God and your relationship with others!
Psalm 28:7 says, “The Lord is my strength and my shield, my heart trusts in him and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy and with my song I praise him.” Psalm 68:3-5 says, “But may the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; may they be happy and joyful. Sing to God, sing in praise of his name, extol him who rides on the clouds, rejoice before him – His name is the Lord. A father to the fatherless, a defender of the widows, is God in his holy dwelling.” Psalm 68:6 says, “He leads the prisoners with singing.” The joy of the Lord is so powerful, it even leads prisoners to sing. I have had those from the prisons as patients and even when they come in cuffs with guards on either side of them. I have been shocked at some of their joy, knowing some have found God in prison, making them – believe this or not – actually grateful for their punishment, leading them to repentance.
Paul and Silas were stripped, beaten with rods, flogged and put in prison in Acts 16:22-24. At midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God in prison, and the other prisoners listened to them. There was a violent earthquake and prison doors flew open. See why having joy brings strength and why it’s such a powerful weapon? Psalm 89:15-18 says, “Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of Your presence, Lord. They rejoice in your name all day long; they celebrate your righteousness. For you are their glory and strength, and by your favor, you exalt our horn. Indeed, our shield belongs to the Lord, our King to the Holy One of Israel.” Praise leading to joy is a discipline. It is tough to make praise a habit, but the more you practice, the more it becomes a fundamental. The more you walk with Him, you notice how His presence brings light. When you are in the light, you rejoice and celebrate life, and who has given it to you.
It is like when we are kids learning to play a sport for the first time. When you first start, everything is really hard and you have to think even about the fundamentals. Then as you continue to play and grow, it becomes a habit. Psalm 92:4-5 says, “For you make me glad by your deeds, Lord, I sing for joy at what your hands have done, how great are your works, Lord, how profound your thoughts.”
It is very anti-cultural to get excited about the unknown. It does not come naturally to us as human beings, but when you think of how profound God’s thoughts are, what He has done to provide for you in your past, what He has done for those in the scriptures and who He is through His works, you will find joy in the unknown. Hebrews 12:28-29 says “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful and so worship God acceptably, with reverence and awe for our God is a consuming fire.” Joy is possible because of eternity, the kingdom we are now a part of and will be when we die cannot be shaken. God is a consuming fire and this fire is now inside of you. We all know life is tough and this world is broken, but I also don’t want us to forget Psalm 119:64, which reminds us, “The earth is filled with your love, Lord.” Even though we live in a hard world, it is ultimately still God’s world, and full of His love. Life is meant to be enjoyed and for us to produce joy for one another.
Psalm 119:111-112 reminds us, “Your statutes are my heritage forever; they are the joy of my heart. My heart is set on keeping your decrees to the very end.” Joy comes from following his statutes, which in the moment, may seem like a responsibility, but then we realize the joy they produce. Psalm 119:162 says, “I rejoice in your promise.” We can have joy knowing God keeps every single one of His promises. Proverbs 10:28 says, “The prospect of the righteous is joy, but the hopes of the wicked come to nothing.” The only way to be righteous is to have Christ, and once you have the Holy Spirit living in you, it produces joy naturally because it’s one of the fruits of the Spirit. Proverbs 12:20 says, “Deceit is in the heart of those who plot evil, but those who promote peace have joy.” Promoting peace brings joy while trying to plan harm to others does the opposite. In Ecclesiastes 2:24-26, Solomon says, “This too, I see, is from the hand of God, for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment? To the person who pleases Him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness.” Isaiah 12:1-6 says, “In that day, you will say: ‘I will praise you Lord. Although you were angry with me, your anger has turned away and you have comforted me. Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord Himself, is my strength and my defense, He has become my salvation.’ With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. In that day you will say: ‘Give praise to the Lord, proclaim His name; make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted. Sing to the Lord, for He has done glorious things; let this be known to all the world. Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion, for great is the Holy One of Israel among you.’”
Even though the work has just begun once you are saved, instead of seeing it as a tiring journey of laws and regulations to follow as a Christian, you find as you draw living water from Him it is, dare I say…. fun and completely fulfilling?! Again, making the joy come natural. As Christians, we do not live in a fantasy world, that all this work is always fun, but you will always see the purpose behind your work. When you have Jesus, there is always purpose even when we can’t see it in the moment. Whether for your job, work in your family, friends, training for sports, hobbies, you name it, there is purpose and there is joy when the Lord is there. Isaiah 35:9-10 says, “But only the redeemed will walk there, and those the Lord has rescued will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.” Joy literally overtakes you, even in times of sorrow that every single person comes across, joy will always fill you in the end as a believer in Christ no matter the pain. Joy gives us strength, which in turn gives us courage. Joy may seem to be an odd alternative to fear, but have you ever had a super exciting time in your life, and you just felt unstoppable with your adrenaline running? If you think about it, joy did make you brave, erasing your fears. Joy comes from understanding you are the created being and the Creator knows best and loves you more than you can understand.
We find joy when we are glorifying God in all we do; when He becomes our motivator and purpose for life. Luke 10:21 says how Jesus was full of joy through the Holy Spirit. John 3:30 says, “He must become greater; I must become less.” The more our purpose revolves around ourselves, the more we rob ourselves of joy because we were not made for ourselves alone. When He becomes greater, as the one we try to please instead of ourselves and others, you will find joy. For instance, think of someone you have tried so hard to please and it’s never enough. We’ve all been there and it is absolutely exhausting. Now think of trying to please God, who already loves you the same now, as He will even when you accomplish a task he has assigned for you. How freeing! Joy comes knowing you are serving someone who accepts you without a doubt.
John 16:22 says, “No one will take away your joy.” Having joy does not mean everything will be good, or that there is not a time to mourn. For example, earlier in this chapter of John it says when a woman is giving birth, she’s in anguish, but she forgets the anguish when she holds her child which results in her joy. Jesus promises no matter what anguish we feel in life, no one can take away our joy. Even when we mourn, joy can still be present, understanding the source of where it comes. Just as the indescribable joy of having a newborn baby in your arms, Jesus is our indescribable joy even when experiencing the worst pains in life.
James 1:16-18 says “Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.” We are the firstfruits of his creation, the best of what He has created. He takes joy when we choose to use the talents he has given us. God loves to see when we choose to work hard with the ability He has given us to do so. We just need to remember the very reason we can even take another breath is because God says we can and through His sovereignty is the only way we can acquire any good or perfect gift.
2 John 1:12 says, “I have much to write to you, but I do not want to use paper and ink. Instead, I hope to visit you and talk with you face to face, so that our joy may be complete.” I know life gets busy and I’m grateful technology can keep us connected through the craziness, but never underestimate the joy that could come into your life when we are face to face with others. Sometimes it is scary and intimidating depending on the relationship with the individual or what you are discussing, but with some prayer and God’s guidance face to face is always better. It can also be hard to really know what another person is saying online as tone and facial expressions are a huge part of communication. Do not give up meeting together to make your joy complete.
Joy can mark you as a believer. I have prayed for some pretty incredible events to happen in my life, especially recently that God has been answering, but you know what I have realized? Even though I see these mountains being moved right in front of my eyes, which brings joy, I am realizing my joy is completely rooted in His presence over his blessings. I want you to find this same joy in His presence.
