“A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones” (Proverbs 17:22).
When my eyes landed on that verse recently, it had special relevance, since I was typing with only my right hand, due to recently breaking a bone in my elbow in a cycling fall. Joy as good medicine seemed an appealing alternative to opioid pain relievers prescribed by the doctor.
God has given us joy as a fruit of the spirit (Galatians 5:22). But the devil wants to strip us of joy and burden us with melancholy in its place. He portrays us as victims of our circumstances, and coaxes us into self-pity. (I was suckered into that, bemoaning the past, thinking “if only” I hadn’t gotten on my bike that day or had done something differently, I wouldn’t be going through this!) Satan points to our bodies, to how we feel, and encourages us to walk by sight and not by faith.
Jesus never wrung His hands over His circumstances, but He sure could have. He only went around doing good things and people wanted to kill Him for it. He planned to entrust His work on earth to a bunch of clueless and cowardly disciples who still didn’t “get it” after three years with Him. Jesus was vilified, publicly ridiculed, and faced unthinkable physical and emotional pain. Yet He endured it all gladly “for the joy set before Him” (Hebrews 12:2). Jesus was anything but depressed. As our example, He didn’t just look at the visible, but to the unseen, and He rejoiced at what He saw (Luke 10:18-21; 2 Corinthians 4:18). Jesus was anointed with the oil of joy above anyone else (Psalm 45:7).
Sometimes we forget God desires we experience this fruit of the Spirit, joy, in this life, not only in eternity. That’s why He put things in our hearts that will bring us joy—interests and hobbies that delight us. We need to think about what gives us joy, and devote some time to those things. I let the new job I started over a year ago absorb most of my time, attention, and energy up until recently. I worked hard and liked the challenge and learning opportunities involved, but something was missing. Now I invest some free time in things I enjoy, like art and writing. Recently, I had an inexplicable desire to write poems, of all things. So I started writing poetry only a few weeks ago and discovered it was fun.
The Bible tells us the hope of the righteous is joy. When we tap into joy, we’ll find our hope rises because we’re no longer focused on problems. When we have hope, we find it easier to trust God and to walk by faith (Hebrews 11:1). What about you? What sources of joy has God planted in your heart? Make a point of discovering (or rediscovering) what’s in your heart, and make time for those things. The outcome might surprise you!
Yes, Yes, YES! Excellent verses, application, and insight, JB! Thanks so much for your post.