Life is difficult, whether today or tomorrow, in ourselves or our loved ones, we are surrounded by trial and challenge, and both loss and death come for everyone.
I know cheery right? Hear me out.
Joy amidst Sadness:
Yes there is much sadness and difficulty that we face and life is tough, but joy and purpose is available to you regardless how large your burdens, and the answer is simple.
Walk in Purpose: Love and Serve Others and you will have Joy
If you walk in purpose I believe your life will be full of satisfaction and joy even if you are fighting the most terrible personal pain and suffering.
Life requires purpose, humanity needs to aim at greatness and grow beauty, without ambition for a better tomorrow there is no hope for the future. When humanity aims at beauty, working toward making life better for those around us, that is a purpose driven life, and that is where you will find your relief, respite and deep sustaining joy. The vision is to pour yourself into something bigger than yourself, committing to doing whatever you can, in the time you have to make bring that vision to reality.
In the bible this is what Christian's call, His Kingdom come, as in, we bring God's Kingdom to life through our committment to it in the present.
If you believe in Jesus you know this already: life lived well is life poured out for the betterment of others, and to be great is to be the servant. If you do not believe in Jesus, you may say it differently, but make no mistake, any other life is only death. There is no fulfillment in self-service, pride and riches for their own sake.
Seek first the health, joy and well-being of others and you will find your own. Seek first yourself and you will find only lonliness and death.
So seek purpose, serve others, and to the extent that you work toward improving the world for others you will find joy in your work. Such work creates hope and breathes new life, strengthening us to overcome tragedy and suffering.
Be Encouraged, Hope is Here:
So Christian or Atheist, hear me please, you are made for more than this world demands. If you are buried under the weight of loss, disappointment, fear and anxiety, suspend your disbelief and today, and take action today. Do something for someone, a kindness that cannot be repaid, and could not be expected, love and serve someone and in your own small way set a vision today for growth for tomorrow. Keep your goals modest, be humble enough to know you can't save the world in a day, but consider the pain around you, and the skills you have, and plan to work on improving that situation in some small way. If you do this, you will bring light, and diminish darkness, in a tangible, meaningful manner, and I promise, believer or not, you will find joy, no matter the difficulty and trial before you.
I speak from experience. My youngest daughter has terrible seizures that throw her limbs uncontrollably, and make her scream out in aweful ways. Her health is such that she will likely die before I do... My older daughter has nightmares and cries about her "babies" health and fear of her terrible seizures. Our family is soaked in pain, suffering and the weight of death is never far from us. Yet knowing my life has pupose, that I and my family are called by God to love and serve fills me with hope and joy. It's wierd but I may cry but as I do I also smile.
Purpose gives hope and joy, and these are powerful allies which will put steel in your spine as my pastor always says, readying you for the battles in your life.
You see sadness and joy are not opposites, because joy is not happiness. Joy is much deeper than happiness, and as the bible says:
1 Peter 1:6-9 New International Version (NIV)
6 In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
Conclusion:
I really believe that Jesus is God and I believe purpose is a necessary component of a life worth living. As a result I believe that we ought to look to God for what he calls us to do, and I think Jesus' call is to love and serve. Now, whether you agree or not with this line of thought, please admit to yourself that life is made better, more full, and worth more, when we aim high and strive to make life better for the people around us and not just ourselves.
That is a mission worth getting behind and I urge you to take action today to move yourself closer to that aim.
Seize your purpose today because not only will doing so make your life better, despite all the worse that life can bring, you will find joy to off-set the burdens and pain.
Joy is not the opposite of sadness, and so you might be sad about circumstances, but you can be fortified by joy simeltaneously.
Bear your cross, carry your burdens and make the difficulty of others, your burden. Move forward in a concerted effort to make life better, today. This is the mission we were all made for, this is what I see as being salt and light, bringing Heaven on Earth, and doing God's will.
Be encouraged! Joy is available even amidst suffering.
Thanks for your time and attention, have an awesome day. God bless.
Today's post was inspired in part by this amazing song, please enjoy.
O Come to the Altar | Live | Elevation Worship
P.S. For more on this idea of living a servant life, and aiming at a better future, consider viewing this great video by The Bible Project, about: "Gospel of Kingdom", which talks about what "gospel" is, and the good-news of God's Kingdom. "The greatest among you shall be your servant." (Matthew 23:11)