“I’ll Enjoy It When . . .” - Love Your Life (Even When You Don’t Like It All the Time)

“Jesus replied, ‘Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.’ ‘Please, sir,’ the woman said, ‘give me this water! Then I’ll never be thirsty again, and I won’t have to come here to get water.’” (John 4:13-15, NLT)

“Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, ‘My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.’ So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:8-10, NLT)

Myth: Joy comes after everything is figured out.
Truth: Postponed joy is often forgotten joy.

There’s a little phrase that sneaks through the cracks in our minds if we’re not careful: “I’ll enjoy life when . . .”

. . . the house is clean.

. . . the baby sleeps through the night.

. . . the bank account is steady.

. . . the diagnosis is better.

. . . I’m finally out of this season.

. . . I find “the one.”

But that kind of thinking is a thief if you’re not careful. The phrase is a slow, quiet one that convinces you joy belongs to your future life, not your current one, and before you know it, you’re so tunnel-visioned on what’s next and that moment you’re holding out for, you miss the delightful details in your peripheral.

Like we were reminded yesterday, God never promised us a pain-free, always-fun path, but He did offer us His presence right in the thick of it.

Psalm 118:24 says, “This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it” (ESV).

This day. Not the one coming after the hard conversation. Not the one post-vacation, once you’re glowing and rested. Not the one when the kids are older or the business is thriving or the student debt is finally paid off. This one: dirty dishes, family drama, and all.

We see this invitation in the life of Paul. He wrote about joy while sitting in a prison cell. Not after his release. Not once the suffering had passed. While chained. He told the Philippians, “I have learned the secret of being content . . . whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want” (Philippians 4:12, NIV). Paul didn’t delay joy, he used it as the very tool to strengthen himself.

Have you noticed that delaying joy often creates resentment? We grow bitter waiting for life to get easier instead of learning how to anchor joy in what is. We look to our left and to our right, measuring how far we’ve come and how much further we have to go based on others living out a life we think we want. Because here’s the truth: If you don’t learn how to notice joy now, right where you are, it might still feel out of reach later, even when things look better on the outside.

Joy is a muscle that must be developed, strengthened by pain and “one more rep” and doing it when it doesn’t feel natural. In order for it to be a reaction, it must first be a choice. If you don’t learn to love the life you have right now, despite the reasons why you can’t that come to mind, loving your life will always feel “out of touch.”

I think of the Israelites, living in the “I’ll enjoy it when . . .” mentality, complaining and grumbling, wandering in a desert for 40 years, waiting on the Promised Land. I’m sure one of them thought, I’ll enjoy it when we get there and see the milk and honey with our own eyes (see Exodus 16). Even in the middle, God provided them sustenance to get through each day. Each day, He kept His promise by delivering just enough manna that they needed to get to the next.

God doesn’t ask us to fake happiness. He simply asks us to notice the manna, the daily provision. He gives enough for today, and that’s where joy lives.

Here are some questions to ponder:

• What “I’ll enjoy it when . . .” belief have you been holding onto?
• What’s one small, sacred thing you can savor today?