Finding Joy While Striking Out
While I do not consider myself to be much of a sports fanatic, I do love the Atlanta Braves.
At a game one evening, amidst the exciting atmosphere, I heard the fan behind me make an interesting statement.
It was the beginning of the game, the 2nd or 3rd inning, and we were losing 4 to 1.
The organist started playing “If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands.”
The man sitting behind me said, “We are losing 4 to 1! What do we have to be happy about?”
Three baseballs laying in dirt on a baseball field.
Do you ever feel this way in your own life?
Like each day is a battle that seems impossible to win, and you simply have no reasons left to find joy?
When we trudge through hardships and trials, it can be easy to feel this way.
Paul was no stranger to this experience; however, his mindset was far from one of defeat.
“But as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger” (2 Corinthians 6:4-5, ESV)
At the baseball game, after my neighbor’s comment, I started listing in my head all of the reasons we had to be happy:
We were winning the series overall against the Mets, it was still early in the game, with plenty of time to make a comeback (which we did), and it was a beautiful night!
In the next few verses, Paul makes a similar list. He describes the immensely powerful tools he had at his disposal.
Just like Paul, we have access to these tools as well, and they can aid us in making a comeback, even during that losing inning.
A woman from her midsection down holding a Bible in the middle of a field during a sunset.
“By purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love; by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left” (2 Corinthians 6:6-7, ESV)
With the Holy Spirit firmly rooted within us, we can find optimism, endurance, and the strength to keep swinging.
When we find joy even during tough times, we can glorify God and serve as a witness to His presence and power in the process.
It is a challenging task but it becomes a bit easier when we remember that we have access to the most valuable player of them all, the Holy Spirit.
Even when it may be difficult to find your smile, you can always rely on Christ for joy, endurance, and hope.
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