Dennis Swanberg delivers an encouraging message about being joyful in your salvation.
Let’s get one thing straight: I can’t make you happy.
Sure, I can make you laugh—maybe even giggle hard enough to snort—but true happiness? Deep, soul-satisfying joy? That’s on you.
Happiness is fleeting. It comes and goes with our moods, our circumstances, even the weather. But joy? Real joy? That comes from a place much deeper—and it’s a choice we get to make.
The Bible tells us in Psalm 51 to “restore unto me the joy of my salvation.” That joy, friends, is already yours. It came bundled in with grace and redemption. But sometimes we forget to enjoy it. We let life, stress, pain, and yes—even people—steal it away.
“Be strong and courageous.” Those were God’s words to Joshua. They weren’t just about preparing for battle. They were about preparing for life. I love that encouragement: Live life. Love it. Seize it. Enjoy the moment. Don’t let someone else rob you of that joy.
Maybe tonight you laughed for the first time in a long time. Who knows what’s been going on in your life—loss, struggle, stress, disappointment. But tonight, you smiled. Maybe just a little, but it was something. That’s no small thing. The Bible says there’s a time to cry, but there’s also a time to laugh.
“A merry heart does good like a medicine…”…but a broken spirit dries up the bones. And when your bones dry up, they get brittle. And when they get brittle, they break. And then, my friend, you’re going to need Boniva—or at least some Blue Bell ice cream. (That’s what I take for my bone density!)
Listen, you can’t make everyone happy. That’s not your job. But you can live in joy. You can choose to get up, go out, and be part of life again. Even when it’s hard. Especially when it’s hard.
And please, for heaven’s sake, get off the guilt train. Stop hiding. Stop shrinking back because of circumstances or family drama you haven’t even told anyone about. Don’t let shame or sorrow isolate you.
You were made for more than that.
You were made to live.
And not just live—but to live in Christ Jesus.
So go ahead—laugh a little more.
Eat the ice cream.
Choose joy.
And live.
