Have you ever tried to wait with joy and found that you just couldn’t?
Maybe you’re disappointed. Maybe you’re frustrated. Or maybe you waited and believed, fasted and prayed, and nothing happened.
How do you go on?
Detach From Your Emotions
Hear me out.
How you feel is a powerful tool. Your feelings and emotions alert you to danger, signal physical pain and discomfort, and help you to express pleasure and joy. These are all important, wonderful things.
But being driven by how you feel has a dark side, and that’s what you need to detach from.
You see, joy is about who Jesus is, not about how you feel or even what’s happening around you. For you to wait with joy even when you hurt, you need to embrace the truth that joy is a Person, not an emotion.
Imagine with me for a moment.
If my joy is circumstantial, it fluctuates with my mood and situation, yes? I can’t trust it because it’s shallow, so waiting on a promise will be hard and painful. Waiting is always hard when I do it in my flesh. Depending on my emotions to be joyful is about my flesh, not my Saviour.
But if my joy is in Jesus, then it’s deep, rich, and steady. Because “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8), He never changes, and so the source of and reason for my joy never change either. Will I go through grief, heartache, rejection, and disappointment? Yes, but I won’t be crushed by them because I’m joyful in Jesus, not in my circumstances and emotions.
This means I can wait on the Lord even when it’s hard because I’m connected to something deeper than fleeting emotions. It means I wait well when I have a promise I’m holding on to or a breakthrough I’m contending for. And it means I wait with joy no matter how hurt I feel or how unfair life seems.
Because life happens, right? Things change. We change. We endure hardships and disappointments, frustrations and trials, but Jesus remains the same. No matter how volatile things get, He stays faithful. And so we wait with joy because we’re anchored in His love and His Word, not because we feel high or have a great day.
What Does Waiting With Joy Look Like?
If you’re going to rise above how you feel, you need a way to process it so you’re not weighed down or overwhelmed. And because feelings can be gnarly, just thinking positive won’t cut it, so what do you do?
Do your VESPERS instead.
VESPERS
Vent. Tell the Lord how you really feel. Hold nothing back. He already knows how you feel, but telling Him anyway is trusting Him with it and crying out for His help. He always responds. The Bible says that “The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their cry” (Psalm 34:15).
Empty. Rid your heart of all the pain, disappointment, and frustration. Don’t let your emotions fester and harden into bitterness. Hope can’t survive in a hard, bitter heart. Let your love and faith come alive again. Keep your heart soft before the Lord.
Soothe. Allow the Lord to soothe the hurt and dry your tears. Jesus is your Balm. Speak the Word over your heart. Remember that, “He heals the brokenhearted And binds up their wounds” (Psalm 147:3 NKJV). Praying the Word over yourself is Jesus rubbing His balm on your broken heart.
Praise. Sing your way through the storm. Focus on who the Lord is, not on how you feel or what you see. Praise helps you remember what pain tries to make you forget.
Expect. Believe for greater things. Expect the Lord to come through. Expect to see your promise manifest.
Rest. Know that God is good, He’s your Father, and He’s watching over you even when it feels like He isn’t.
Surrender. Give up your timeline and wait on His. Abide. And as you wait, sing.
Joy is coming in the morning!
Thank you Otiti for this insightful how to: ‘Wait With Joy Even When You Hurt’. 🔥🔥🔥🔥
I especially like the “P”
in VERSPERS. ‘Praise helps you remember what pain tries to make you forget. Am encouraged to keep singing 🎶.
Yes and keep speaking the word over my heart.
God bless you mightily. Amen
You’re welcome, Mama! Thank you for reading. 🤗 Yes, praise changes everything, as does speaking the Word over ourselves. We’re getting there! 💪🏾
So so good sister Otiti. Whao it definitely reshape our mind on how we should look at Joy and not rely on our feelings. Powerful.
Hello, Sister Annie! Thank you so much! Yes, it’s something I need to practise daily. I believe it’s an opportunity to stop, reflect, and rise above how we feel so we’re neither consumed nor confused by it. It’s a process! 🙏🏾
Wow, my sis Otiti, what a deep blogg. I like the ‘S’ part. That what I am doing😊 Joy is a person l love that. God bless you my sister ❤️
Blessy! Hey, my girl! 🤗 Thank you so much. I thank God. He’s teaching us how to wait with joy even when it’s hard!