There seems to be a lot of sadness today, especially among young people. There is more focus on mental health, more introspection, more “self-care” than ever before, and yet it appears there is also more misery. Even on their faces, there is a hopeless, hardened look.
Approximately 42% of Gen Z have been given a mental health diagnosis of some kind. What is the difference between them and the previous generations? While there may be many things at play, dare I suggest, the counselor has replaced family and friends, and the therapist has replaced the preacher. With intense focus on the self, isolation, and no place for the Sacred, a crisis of meaning is sure to follow.
But what about joy? Is there hope for a return to joy? Nehemiah 8:10 says, “The joy of the Lord is my strength.” That verse came crashing through to me in a new way recently as I pondered it. Joy and strength are related? Really??
Nehemiah had just built a wall, a fortress, but was reminding the people where their joy came from. The word “strength” used in the verse has the meaning of “stronghold, a place of safety.” Nehemiah was reminding the people that the joy of the Lord was their true strength, not the wall they just built.
The joy comes from knowing God and His character and nature and allowing that knowledge to change us. If we have that joy, it becomes our strength, something we can build on. We build on materials with strength; we don’t build on sand. This joy is different from mere happiness that rests on our emotions.
It’s the kind of joy that says,
“When things don’t go my way – the joy of the Lord is my strength.”
“When I am struggling and agonizing for a wayward child – the joy of the Lord is my strength.”
“When I get the dreaded diagnosis – the joy of the Lord is my strength.”
“When a loved one is standing on the edge of eternity – the joy of the Lord is my strength.”
“Day by day, hour by hour, the joy of the Lord is my strength.”
May you walk in the joy of the Lord and know His strength for today, and all your tomorrows.
Life By The Way 