None of us are immune to hardship, and we all go through seasons that knock us in the dirt. Trials might come in the form of a medical diagnoses, marriage problems, the death of a loved one, struggles at work, or the every-day stress of living in a fallen world. During these times, it’s possible for fear and anxiety to rob us of joy. Unconfessed sin and disobedience to God are other reasons we lose a sense of joy. Joy is a fruit of the Spirit and is a byproduct of abiding in Christ ( Galatians 5:22, John 15:11). If we harbor unconfessed sin and live in habitual disobedience joy will be elusive.
But what about the times when things are going well, and when there is no unconfessed sin or blatant disobedience, and our joy disappears like the early morning fog?
If you’ve been a Christ-follower for any length of time, you’ve undoubtedly experienced seasons when you’ve lost your joy, and you don’t know why. Some Christians have described it as a time of “spiritual leanness” or a “dark night of the soul.” During these times, the Scriptures seem to go silent, and we begin to wonder if our prayers are making it any higher than the ceiling. If left alone with our thoughts, it seems as if we are the only ones to experience these dreadful occasions, but the Bible makes it clear that they are common to the people of God.
As Christians, there are times when we have to fight for joy. In his book, Spiritual Depression: Its Causes and Cure, Martyn Lloyd-Jones wrote, “The main art in the matter of spiritual living is to know how to handle yourself. You have to take yourself in hand, you have to address yourself, preach to yourself, question yourself. You must say to your soul: ‘Why are thou cast down’- what business do have you to be disquieted?”[1]
King David was a man who fought for joy. He didn’t sit idly and wait for it to return. During times of spiritual depression, David took proactive steps to reclaim his joy. Here are three ways David teaches us to fight for joy:
- Recall your history with God. When David wrote Psalm 143, he was experiencing oppressive grief and stress. As David opened the Psalm he wrote that the enemy had “pursued his soul; crushed his life to the ground, and made him sit in darkness like those long dead.” David described himself as having a faint spirit and an appalled heart (Psalm 143:3-4). But David didn’t dwell long on those thoughts. Instead, he redirected his mind to the faithfulness of God, and he recalled all the ways God had come through for him in the past. He wrote, “I meditate on all that you have done; I ponder the work of your hands” (Psalm 143:5). As David focused on the faithfulness of God something remarkable happened; his faith was revived, and his mood shifted. By the end of Psalm 143, David was voicing his confidence in God’s faithfulness and ability. He wrote, “And in your steadfast love you will cut off my enemies, and you will destroy all the adversaries of my soul, for I am your servant” (Psalm 143:12).
- Practice Gratitude. David wrote, “I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart; I will recount all your wonderful deeds.” (Psalm 9:1). When our eyes are open to the blessings of God our thoughts shift from what we lack to the ways God has already blessed us. Gratitude is not only the only appropriate response to the blessings of God, but it also stirs our faith and increases our joy. During times of struggle, it’s especially important to keep our eyes open to all the ways God is working and to give constant thanks for His grace and goodness.
- Recall the promises of God. When the Philistines seized David, he wrote, “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?” (Psalm 56:3-4). Dwelling on the promises of God will get us through our darkest days and harshest seasons. Regardless of how our circumstances look, we can know with confidence God’s Word will prevail. The promises of God should be at the forefront of our thoughts at all times, but focusing on the promises of God is especially important when we are fighting for joy. If we are wise, we will read them, pray them, and even say them out loud as many times a day as we need to.
Our thought life is of paramount importance if we want our lives to be characterized by joy. Martyn Lloyd-Jones said, “You must go on to remind yourself of God, who God is, and what God is and what God has done, and what God has pledged Himself to do.”[2]
As believers in Christ and followers of the risen Lord, we have every reason to be filled with joy. We’ve read the end of the Book and we know how the story ends. Let’s not hand our joy over to the enemy. And when we lose it, let’s not stop fighting until we get it back.
[1] D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Spiritual Depression: Its Causes and Cure, (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1965, 21).
[2] Ibid.
