Finding God’s presence in both tears and praise
There is a misunderstanding that often slips into Christian life—the belief that if we are truly choosing joy, we should not feel sadness. We may think that joy means smiling through everything, staying positive no matter what, and never letting grief show. But that is not the kind of joy God invites us into.
Choosing joy does not mean denying pain.
Choosing joy means inviting God into it.
Joy and sorrow can exist at the same time.
This is a misconception I struggled with for years after beginning my Choose Joy Adventure. I held the burden of swallowing my sadness when others were around. If I were going to be the “face of choose joy,” I couldn’t let others see me sad. Showing sadness would make me a hypocrite…so I thought.
Scripture never tells us that following Christ removes sadness. In fact, the Bible is full of people who loved God deeply and still wept, mourned, and wrestled with heavy emotions.
Jesus Himself felt sorrow.
“Jesus wept.” — John 11:35
In that moment, Jesus knew He was about to raise Lazarus from the dead, yet He still cried. His tears were not a lack of faith. They were love. They were compassion. They were proof that holiness does not remove human emotion.
Joy is not the absence of sadness.
Joy is the presence of God in the middle of sadness.
Choosing joy means choosing truth over denial.
Sometimes we think choosing joy means saying,
“I’m fine.”
“It’s all good.”
“It doesn’t hurt.”
But real joy is not pretending.
Real joy is trusting.
Joy says:
This hurts… but God is still good.
I don’t understand… but God is still with me.
I feel broken… but I am not abandoned.
“Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.” — Psalm 30:5
Notice the verse does not say weeping never comes.
It says weeping has a season, but it does not have the final word.
God never asks us to choose joy by ignoring our hearts.
God created our emotions.
He is not afraid of them.
The Psalms are filled with cries of confusion, fear, anger, and grief. Yet they are also filled with praise. The same person can write both in the same prayer. That is the life of faith.
Choosing joy is not pushing sadness away.
It is bringing sadness to God instead of carrying it alone.
“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” — Psalm 34:18
If broken hearts kept us from joy, God would not come near to them. But the opposite is true — He comes closer.
Joy is a decision of the soul, not a feeling of the moment.
Feelings change.
Circumstances change.
Seasons change.
Joy is deeper than all of those.
Joy is the quiet confidence that God is still working, even when life feels heavy.
You can choose joy while crying.
You can choose joy while healing.
You can choose joy while waiting.
You can choose joy while grieving.
Because joy is not saying,
“This doesn’t hurt.”
Joy is saying,
“This hurts, but God is still faithful.”
Choosing joy means trusting that sadness is not wasted.
God never wastes tears.
He never ignores pain.
He never walks away from a hurting heart.
Sometimes the very place where we feel the most sadness becomes the place where we experience the deepest peace, because that is where we learn to lean on Him.
Joy grows in places where we thought only sorrow could live.
“Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy.” — Psalm 126:5
Tears are not the opposite of joy.
Sometimes they are the soil where joy begins.
If your heart feels heavy right now, you are not failing at choosing joy. You are human. And God is right there with you.
Choosing joy does not mean you stop feeling sadness.
It means sadness does not get to decide your hope.
Joy is not the denial of pain.
Joy is the decision to trust God in the middle of it.
Praying for each of you to find joy today…even in the sadness.
With love and joy,
Laura
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