This morning I read, “Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs… Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him and praise His name. For the Lord is good and His love endures forever, His faithfulness continues through all generations.” (Ps. 100:1-2, 4-5)
These verses pulsated praise! It made me think, do we have the wrong idea about God? Do we think that He wants us somber and serious when, in reality, He loves to see us filled with exuberant joy and praise? Let me say it differently; I believe God wants us to be filled to the brim with joy! Granted, we cannot always be that way. There’s a time for seriousness, and a time for grief and compassion. So many faith-filled people suffer from seasons of dark depression that they are unable to shake. St. John of the Cross, a Spanish Catholic priest from 16th century, wrote about “the dark night of the soul” in a way that has resonated with suffering saints ever since. But life is not always meant to be heavy, and if we have a hard time remembering when we were last filled with joy, then perhaps the God of Joy is beckoning us into a new space.
The practice of joy does not come naturally; it must be cultivated, particularly in the dark seasons of life. When times are hard, joy seems an impossibility, and trying to manufacture joy seems dishonest. Yet, allowing joy to enter the heavy places in our soul that weigh us down brings balance that is often desperately needed.
One simple way to cultivate joy that I’ve been incorporating into my life is to begin my prayer time each morning with praise to God. At first, this is an act of discipline and an act of obedience. I often do not feel praise when I start, but by praising God at the beginning I begin to reframe the circumstances of my life. That simple practice begins to reshape me.
Another simple way is to have a goal each day to find joy. The darker the cloud in your life, the harder it will be to find joy, and the more important it will be for you to search for it. The joy you find may be very small or it could be more significant. Each day offers some opportunity for joy if we look hard enough, but often only if we look.
These practices cultivate joy, just like we would cultivate the soil in a garden. With practice, we may come to be able to “Shout with joy to the Lord,” even when our surroundings are painful.
