How often do we catch ourselves saying, “If only”? If only we had more money, a bigger house, a better job, fewer problems, or a life that looked a little more like someone else’s.
We convince ourselves that once those things happen, then we’ll finally be happy. But the trouble with living in the land of “if only” is that there’s always something else we’ll want or think we need before we allow ourselves to be joyful.
John 15:11 reminds us that Jesus wants His joy to be in us and for our joy to be complete. And that joy isn’t something we have to wait for until life gets better. It isn’t found in a bank account, a clothing size, or having everything go our way. It’s found in a relationship with Jesus.
The kind of joy He gives isn’t dependent on our circumstances, and it doesn’t disappear when life gets difficult. I’m reminding myself that I don’t want to spend so much time wishing for a different life that I miss the blessings in the one God has given me.
We can have joy right now, right where we are, because we have Jesus. So let’s stop putting our happiness on hold until our “if only” becomes a reality. Let’s learn to recognize the goodness of God in the life we’re living today and remember that the greatest source of joy is already ours.
