For some reason, summer always makes me nostalgic about my high school days. My friends and I working on our tans, listening to what the young ’uns now call classic rock, no particularly rigid schedule except for a part-time job, sleeping late, and driving around with the windows down and the air conditioner blasting – those were the days!

But one thing I don’t miss is the emotional rollercoaster I was strapped into all because I was an adolescent girl. If I felt it, everyone knew about it. And of course, my favorite emotion was “happy.” I’m not too hard to figure out. Remember the children’s song “If You’re Happy and You Know It?” Then you also remember the line, “If you’re happy and you know it, then your face will surely show it.” That was me.

Last spring, the Wall Street Journal ran an article titled, “U.S. No Longer Ranks Among World’s 20 Happiest Countries.” Wow. All those faces – not happy, not showing it. The study cited in the article was the Gallup Poll for World Happiness Report – 2024. Apparently, the good ol’ U.S. of A. dropped from #15 to #23 in just one year. The greatest drop was among younger adults. The dip was attributed to the use of social media intake which resulted in – no surprise here – isolation, loneliness, and emotional pain.

This was an interesting study, but its basis was subjective – based on the feelings and emotions of those interviewed. Respondents were asked to rate their happiness on a scale of 1-10, with ten being the happiest. Another fun fact – Costa Rica (a nation with less economic and political stability than the United States) outranked our own country’s happiness by a full 11 slots. What’s in the water they’re drinking?! It hardly needs pointing out, but people in more developed countries tend to be a bit spoiled so it doesn’t take much to upset the happiness apple cart.

The problem with happiness is that everything’s dependent on your circumstances. That’s why the emotional rollercoaster I was buckled into as a teenager was such a rough ride. Life has its ups and downs, and it’s not wise to trust your emotions to get you through.

The secret weapon of the believer in Christ is joy. Joy doesn’t depend on the situation – joy depends on the truth. And the truth is that, regardless of circumstances, Jesus Christ has saved you. You’re held in God’s hands, and you’re never alone in your pain. Nothing that happens in this world can change that. You’re secure in Him forever. And that’s where joy comes from. You experience the sense of well-being in knowing that God is in control and that Romans 8:28 is no joke: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.”

Suffering and joy can and do exist side by side when we carry our sorrows to Jesus. He opens wide His arms and embraces it all – our grief, the injustices we experience, conflicts within our closest relationships, our unmet longings, hard diagnoses. And He assures us that in the end, all will be okay. We have an eternal perspective that informs our souls – God’s work doesn’t stop just because our hearts do. Struggles on this earth will float away like the tufts of a dandelion when the breath of heaven blows over them.

We’re confident that if every earthly pleasure or good is stripped from us, we have the ultimate gift of life with God forever. The joy that knowledge brings radiates from the core of our beings so that even in our darkest moments, we have the assurance of His goodness shining forth. A believer who suffers with great joy is a testament to the world of the power of God to sustain and care for His children.

Tether yourself to your identity in Christ. Drink deeply of His lavish love. Stand firmly on His sure and true promises. Engage in conversation with your First Love at every opportunity, and take Him up on His invitation to be your All in All. Storms may come, loss may happen, and hearts may break. These things reveal the fragility of happiness. But the joy of the Lord is your strength, and He will carry you through.

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A few words from the Word about joy…

“You make known to me the path of life; You will fill me with joy in Your presence, with eternal pleasures at Your right hand.” – Psalm 16:11

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” – Romans 15:13

“But let all who take refuge in You be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread Your protection over them, that those who love Your name may rejoice in You.” – Psalm 5:11

“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” – Romans 12:12

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” – Galatians 5:22-23