It’s easy to talk about what’s going wrong. If you scroll through social media, a good half of the posts are about COVID-19 or the stay-at-home order. People talk about isolation, loneliness, and fear. They discuss the political, medical, financial, and social issues which have sprung up. Other people try to see the bright side. They talk about the joy they’ve found from being at home with their families, or the new hobbies they’ve picked up, or the amazing progress they’ve made in projects. Some talk about how relieved they are to have some downtime and others talk about how thankful they are to be able to continue working. And some talk about the incredible ways people have banded together to help others, even from a distance. We’re inclined to be happy that people are seeing the bright side. We say that they’re spreading joy and hope, and we commend them for staying positive instead of focusing on the negative. And certainly, this is a good thing. But that’s not the ultimate joy. Can we get joy out of appreciating creation? Yes, we absolutely can! Enjoying all that God has created and given to us—like human relationships, nature, art, and meaningful work—is one of the ways we can find joy in God.
But if our focus on finding joy in the midst of strife is centered on these things, we’re missing the source of our joy . . . and thus, missing the ultimate joy. At the end of the day, joy isn’t about whether or not you’re getting a steady paycheck. Joy isn’t about mastering a skill set or having time to relax or learning a new game. Joy isn’t even about having fluffy, laughter-filled time with our families. Joy is about celebrating our Creator. It’s about treasuring Jesus, who loved us enough to face unimaginable pain, rejection, and disgrace for everything we did wrong. It’s about knowing that God has defeated death and restored us to his presence. Our ultimate joy in the midst of a quarantine has nothing to do with the circumstances surrounding us. It has nothing to do with how the people around us react, whether they band together or split into factions. It doesn’t originate from our things, our relationships, or what we do. Our ultimate joy in the midst of a quarantine is the same joy which we hold onto at any other time—celebrating God for who he is.
1 Comment
Hannah K.
4/28/2020 05:44:38 pm
Amen!! The joy of the Lord is our strength!
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About meHi, I'm Rachel. I write adventure stories, but I can't let my characters have all the adventures. Archives
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