How do you respond to serious challenges in life? Maybe you fall into depression, silently suffering through a sense of hopelessness. Or perhaps you react with anger—raising your voice, expressing frustration, and criticizing everything around you. But let’s be honest: neither depression nor aggression is a sign of strength or spiritual maturity.
Why do people fall into depression or become aggressive? There are many reasons, but let’s focus on one: maybe someone has hurt you. It could be betrayal, injustice, or a deep personal offense that wounded your heart.
When a person constantly replays past hurts in their mind, their thoughts become like a cycle that’s hard to break. They relive the situation over and over, analyzing every word, every detail—feeling the same pain again as if it just happened.
The wrong that was done becomes a heavy burden they carry inside, holding them back from moving forward. Depression and aggression both drown out God’s voice and paralyze the dreams He placed in your heart. They’re not just moods—they’re darkness that seeps into the soul. This inner pain turns into bitterness, and slowly, a person loses all sense of purpose.
In this state, people lose today while still living in the pain of yesterday. Negative experiences become like anchors, keeping them tied to the past and unable to rise. But Philippians 3:13 says, “Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead.” That doesn’t mean we ignore our pain or pretend it didn’t happen—it means we don’t let the past control the present.
Has someone hurt you? Forgive them. Stop having inner arguments with that person. Did you make a mistake? Learn from it and move on. Don’t dwell on what you cannot change. Instead, drive out fear and regret from your heart. Move forward in faith toward the dream God has given you.
Yes, maybe someone let you down or broke a promise. But the more you dwell on people’s unfaithfulness, the less you rely on God’s faithfulness. It’s like a scale: if one side is filled with bitterness, the other side—your trust in God—becomes lighter and lighter, and joy slowly disappears from your heart.
So how do you restore joy? Push aside sad thoughts. Stop fueling painful memories. Don’t keep looking back—it’s like trying to drive while staring in the rearview mirror. You won’t see the road ahead, and you’ll be too afraid to press the gas.
Your future isn’t in the rearview mirror—it’s on the horizon. So stop looking back. Look forward—to where the Lord is leading you. Don’t live in memories that bring no joy. Don’t build your future on the ruins of your past.
We must believe that the blood of Christ not only washes away sin but can also redeem our mistakes. “We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). The blood of Jesus is more powerful than failure and its consequences. Believe that God can turn everything in your life for good—if you love Him.
Galatians 5:22 says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace…” If someone has lost their joy, it means they are not nurturing the fruit of the Holy Spirit. If the smile has disappeared from your face and your heart feels empty, that’s a warning sign. Without joy, there is no life. Joy is a fruit—and fruit only grows when you are rooted in God.
Joy is a spiritual indicator. The absence of joy can mean a person is living in the flesh, not in the Spirit. Why? Because the Holy Spirit is the source of joy. Think about it—if someone has no joy, they can’t pray with fire, and they won’t be able to enter into God’s presence fully.
Joy is not just a feeling—it’s a fruit of the Spirit. We must fight our natural tendencies toward gloom and doubt, because they are signs of our fallen nature. Instead, we must cultivate faith, joy, and optimism. Then we’ll look to the future with hope and gladness.
There’s also a strong connection between faith and joy. You won’t find a person full of faith who is also constantly discouraged. These two don’t go together. Without joy, faith doesn’t function. A joyless heart cannot move mountains of problems, sickness, or trouble. Real faith is full of confidence—and joy. That’s why Scripture tells us to “Serve the Lord with gladness.”
Ecclesiastes 11:10 says, “Remove sorrow from your heart” (NKJV). Romans 12:21 adds, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
Friends, this isn’t just a suggestion—it’s a command and an act of faith. You were not created to live in discouragement. On the contrary, God designed you to live a life filled with joy, victory, and forward movement. You are a temple of the Holy Spirit. So guard your heart from evil daily, and choose forgiveness and joy every single day.
How do we do that? Of course, prayer and Bible reading are the foundation of every believer’s life. But let me offer something very simple and practical:
Stop and look around you. God has filled this world with His little miracles. Why is it so important to find joy in the small things? Because those small things make up the picture of our lives. Every moment can either be a source of frustration or a source of joy. Life is made up of small things. If we learn to be thankful for the simple ones, we will always find reasons to be content and happy. Let’s thank God for each new day—even when things don’t go as planned—because every moment is a gift from Him.
#FromHeartToHeart Stan & Lana
Jesus Unltd #EverythingIsPossible