Over this past year, there have been quite a few tragedies in Brian’s and my circles of friends. From death and sickness to tough friendships and trouble at work, so many people seemed to be having a rough season in 2011. The always inspiring C.S. Lewis once wrote,
Human history is the long terrible story of man trying to find something other than God which will make him happy.
It’s tragic but true. How often have you looked back on your life (or looked at the present) and realized that you are desperately searching for joy and happiness in all the wrong places? Your boyfriend, your family, your grades, your job, your clothes–none will ever satisfy the yearning for joy that is deep in your soul. That, girls, can only come from the one who created you to yearn for it. You may be one of those people who is in a rough season.
Maybe you are battling with lies about your self-image, maybe you feel dissatisfied with your daily work, or maybe you just feel apathetic about life in general. When I feel that way, I like to remember that we were made to live fully alive and to have life abundantly. If we aren’t experiencing it now, we will experience it in time. God is a redeemer and a healer. He comforts us when we’re down, and promises to renew all things in time.
“I will turn their mourning into gladness; I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow.” (Jeremiah 31:13)
What have you turned to (or are you currently turning to) in order to satisfy your soul’s yearning for joy?
