It's easy to get stuck in a mundane routine of life. You do the same thing over again, whether it be work or school, you get into a routine of things. It can be easy to feel stuck or burnt out after a while of doing the same thing over and over again, and can be hard to find the joy in life's moments.
Unless your joy is in Jesus.
Psalm 51:12 says, "Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me."
When you are wanting to find those things in life that will give you joy, you have to go back the center of what gives you joy and that is Jesus Christ. One of the fruits of the Spirit is joy, so if you are not experiencing joy, you need to reflect on what Christ did for you so that you will experience joy. Center yourself in Him. If it weren't for Jesus we would be weary, hopeless, and anxious. Look for the joy that you have in Christ Jesus.
Now we know that not every moment that we face is going to be joyful, but there can be joy in every moment.
The first thing is to realize that joy is not the same as happiness. Happiness is circumstantial and fleeting, while joy is a heart posture. Joy comes when we are aware of God's grace and favor.
Philippians 4:4, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!" We can experience joy when we keep our focus on Godly things instead of worldly things.
We can also experience it through community and fellowship with others. The Bible says "For where two or more are gathered in My Name, there I am also."
When we have that fellowship with others, it serves as a support group when we do go through those joyless times in life. We have others that will speak the joy into our lives and help us look for it when we cannot see it.
So I encourage you to really press into the Lord if joy is something you're struggling with right now. Maybe you're in one of those joyless seasons or maybe you're just feeling stuck in a mundane routine. Either way, I challenge you to look for one joyful each day this week and see if that has an effect on your joy.
