Provided that you’ve been married for more than a few months, you’ve probably gone through seasons of sadness, bliss, frustration, exhaustion, and joy. Sometimes, it feels like we are riding an emotional roller coaster with little or no ability to control the speed or the duration of the trip! Though we may not be able to choose some of the circumstances in our lives, we do have the power to choose how we respond.
Several years ago in the midst of an exceedingly difficult season, I realized I had morphed into Eeyore. As I studied Scripture, I began to notice how often God’s word encourages us to choose joy. (For example, James 4:7-10). Joy is one of the most dynamic forces available to us. It has the power to turn our mourning into dancing, our despair into hope, and our fear into faith. Joy runs deeper than happiness because it can transcend the details of our lives.
With regard to marriage, joy functions like engine oil. It reduces relational friction, which not only helps us uphold our commitment to each other but also rejoice in it.
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