Can We Really Be Joyful When Life Hurts?

The summer had been unusually cold and wet, and I longed for the sun, which I hadn’t seen in months, or so it seemed. I excitedly headed off to visit friends in southern France for a few days, confident that sunny weather was waiting for me there. And I wasn’t disappointed. On my first day, elated to finally see clear blue skies, I headed out for a walk … and promptly twisted my ankle.

The injury was so severe that I could do nothing but sit with my leg elevated. Any pressure on my foot sent pain shooting through my body. As you can imagine, my attitude took a nosedive, and the Lord and I had a little talk. I didn’t travel all this way to sit around doing nothing.

It soon dawned on me that although I couldn’t change my circumstances, I could influence how I experienced them. The choice was clear: be miserable or make the most of the situation. After I got over my little temper tantrum, I decided nothing would keep me from enjoying my visit. After all, didn’t I want the sun? I could spend all day in the garden, soaking up the rays while reading a book. And you know what? I did have a good time after all.

I realize this event is minor compared with the suffering that can steal our joy. However, it taught me a valuable lesson about how our attitude shapes our experience of life. When the Apostle Paul wrote the encouragement to “rejoice in the Lord always,” ⁽¹⁾ he was a prisoner—not exactly a cheerful environment.

So what was his secret? By adding the words “in the Lord,” he gives us the answer. God is the source of our joy, and the closer we are to him, the more we can rejoice, regardless of our situation.

Paul isn’t telling us to rejoice at everything. There’s no evidence he was ever happy about being a prisoner, and I certainly wasn’t thrilled about my sprained ankle. Many incidents bring us nothing but sadness or despair, and we shouldn’t minimize them. They hurt! Instead, Paul shows us, in word and deed, that we can always find reasons to rejoice despite our circumstances. The mystery is that we can experience both sadness and joy at the same time.

We can’t control many things, but we can choose where we direct our attention and how we respond to what life throws our way. What we focus on determines how we experience the events that fill our lives. I learned that lesson in southern France and have tried to apply it ever since, with varying degrees of success. I’m more negative and pessimistic by nature, so a positive and joyful disposition doesn’t come naturally to me.

May we be like the Apostle Paul, who could find joy even in the darkest circumstances.

⁽¹⁾ Philippians 4:4