There’s this constant push to “find the good,” “be joyful in all things,” and “rejoice always.” All Biblical. Let’s be on the same page up front because I will challenge that thinking for a minute.
What happens when life doesn’t feel “good”? What do you do when grief and disappointment roll in like a storm surge, or anxiety clings like static, or your failures keep stacking up, or you’re just plain tired? The Bible doesn’t stop being true–but these challenges start feeling like unrealistic platitudes. Joy feels like it’s reserved for people with less baggage and chaos. Or just better coping skills.
So what do you do when “rejoicing always” makes you want to punch through a wall? What do you do when the best you can muster is surviving the day without falling apart?
Here’s where I think we miss the greater picture. God never asked us to fake it. He asked us to be faithful. There’s a difference. Maybe rejoicing isn’t a feeling or a response—it’s a posture. It could be a choice to look up, even with tear-filled eyes, a whisper of trust when shouting would be easier, or an honest prayer following a tirade of negative self-talk.
Find the good. Yes. A simple acknowledgement is enough.
Be joyful. Yes. Even if it’s quiet, stubborn, and barely hanging on. Even that kind of joy counts. Especially that kind.
Rejoice always. Maybe not in your circumstances, but always in the fact that the God we serve is always good.
And that’s enough for today.
