Joy Killer #3: I have a heart of unbelief that God cares for me.

Knowing the truth is one thing; believing the truth is another. Do you ever go through periods of doubt? Do you ever struggle with ultimate questions like, “Is this all for real?” “Does God really care for me?” Honestly, most Christians do that. Again, it is an attack from the evil one. I’ve gone through periods like that.

You don’t really disbelieve; you just have nagging questions. Your faith shrinks. Usually this follows times of grief or stress. You wonder, if God is so loving and gracious, why did He let me go through what I’ve been through. That’s tough. And during those spiritual droughts, you lose your joy. I have one answer for you: faith.

You just have to believe that our Sovereign Lord knows what He is doing and that He loves you. You have to humble yourself, submit and depend on the Lord. Guess what? When you do that, Satan is defeated. James 4:7 says, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” Then the joy will return.

Joy Killer #4: I simply do not know what is truth.

Some Christians are not joyful because they do not understand biblical truth. They don’t know what all God has done for them and what He promises to them.

Folks, doctrine has a bad name among many churches these days. But here, we uphold doctrine because it is the foundation of our lives. The Apostle John wrote, “And these things write we unto you that your joy may be full” (1 John 1:4). When you know the truth and believe the truth, you have full joy!