Fighting for Joy
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
Romans 15:13
I feel as though I have lived one thousand days inside this one single day. My two kids have gotten on each others’ nerves for the millionth time. My house is a wreck and I cannot seem to keep it clean. The playgrounds have closed. I miss my family and friends. My anger has gotten the better of me and I have said unkind words to my husband. It hasn’t even been a week of this new season of “social distancing” and I already feel trapped, secluded, anxious. When will all of this end? How am I to survive this?
And then I take a breath and realize that I must fight for joy. I repeat, with every ounce of my strength, I MUST FIGHT FOR JOY! Scripture says there is nothing new under the sun. And that remains true even in a pandemic. COVID-19 hasn’t shocked our God. So I try to regroup. I go back to what I know to be true. I look towards the face of my God and ask for help in this battle for joy in the midst of COVID-19.
I can’t imagine that I am alone in this. How can we actively pursue joy during this new, unknown, and unwelcome season?
Preach the Gospel to yourself
Jesus came to the earth, suffered immensely, died for our sins, tore through the dividing line between earth and heaven, and rose again so that we might have life in His name! What perspective this gives us! Just meditating on what Christ has done allows my soul to stop focusing on what has been taken away and instead points me towards the mercy and grace that has been bestowed.
Also, our Savior is no stranger to social isolation. He experienced it on the cross. When He took our sin and shame upon Himself, the Holy Father turned away. We are not alone. He knows our pain. And so as the world seems to be caving in upon us, we can rest in the fact that Jesus knows our isolation.
Recognize the small victories
It is so easy to focus on the things that are not going according to plan. My kids are being little terrors. My husband is working long hours to treat those affected by COVID. I cannot operate under my normal and known routine.
Instead, I will choose to find joy in the victories. My children played well together for 10 minutes (a huge win with two kids 3 and under). I got to sip my coffee while it was still hot and read my Bible. My husband is healthy and has protective measures in place to keep him that way. I have dear friends near and far that are only a phone call away. Look for and recognize the victories!
Give yourself and those around you grace
When things change radically, we MUST give those around us and ourselves grace. Standards may need to adjust. My kids may need a tiny bit more screen time than I allow them normally. My husband may need more time to decompress after work than usual. My neighbors may make more noise since they are also at home. The amount of work I want to get done in a day may be compromised. In all of this, the Lord is giving us a beautiful opportunity to bestow grace on ourselves and those around us.
And so, dear friends, let us join together in this fight for joy, for our God is bigger than COVID-19.
- Janie, CoaH Kids Director