When the Joy Is Gone

Think about the first time you ever played a sport. Remember the feel of the wind on your face, the sound of the ball swishing into the net, the taste of victory. Every slide, every kick, every point, they sparked something inside you. The joy was overwhelming. You can feel it now as the memories wash over you. You thought it would last forever, but it didn't. It turned out that your joy was fleeting. That gleam in your eye, that spark in your heart, that breathlessness inside your chest, you felt them all slowly slip away. And your love for the game is fading too. How can you hold on to them in the face of setback, injury, or loss? Losing touch with your joy can make it seem impossible to find it again. When life deals you losses, do you have the strength to get back up? You were created by a loving Savior who wants to help you find your joy again. Whether you're losing or winning, God sees us, and He has experienced the pain you're experiencing. His victory on the cross ensures the pain you feel isn't the end of your story. Through Him, the end of our story is eternal joy. Not just the joy of winning or being a great athlete, but so much more than that. Because our hope is secure, we have an inner strength to keep going through any loss and to keep us grounded in every victory. We might not feel joy fully in every moment of every day, but through Jesus, we have an everlasting joy that nothing in this world can take away.