How Can We Find Joy When Life Seems Ordinary?
Contrary to what culture tells us, joy is not an emotion reserved for exciting days or momentous events. In a world that seems steeped in despair, choosing to rejoice is spiritual warfare that shapes our perspective and opens our eyes to the gifts we already have.
One of my early supervisors had a way of responding to a very simple question that made everyone around him stop and think. When someone asked how he was doing, he did not say “fine” or “alright.” He would look them in the eye and say, “Super fantastic!”
It was so surprising that people almost always paused. They would ask what was so amazing about his day. He would smile and say, “I do not know. It just is.” Later he explained his thinking. His philosophy was simple. Why not assume life is great until something proves otherwise? Why not walk into the day expecting joy rather than waiting to be convinced?
He was not ignoring real pain or pretending problems did not exist. He was choosing a starting point. His starting point was joy.
The Default Setting of Our Culture
That is very countercultural. The natural default of humans is to miss the wonder of life and take everyday gifts for granted. We assume ordinary days are plain or even boring. There is often an unspoken belief that joy is tied to a special occasion. You need a reason to be happy. You need something unusual, exciting, or entertaining.
Ordinary days get labeled as “blah.” We begin to live as if joy is rare, fragile, or temporary. That is not a realistic perspective. It is a jaded one. When we stop noticing the blessings that surround us, gratitude dries up. As gratitude dries up, joy fades with it.
Yet gratitude is powerful. Gratitude opens our eyes again. Gratitude helps us see that we are surrounded by gifts. When we stop taking things for granted, joy becomes possible again.
When Our Eyes Are Opened
Every once in a while, something happens that wakes us up. When someone nearly loses a spouse or child, it shocks the heart awake. Suddenly, nothing is ordinary. The same person you ate beside yesterday is now a treasure. You look at them differently. Their presence becomes a miracle.
Moments like that do not create new gifts. They simply reveal the gifts that have been there all along. Paul had a similar experience in the book of Philippians. He was in prison. His future was uncertain. Yet the letter he wrote in that setting is one of the most joyful books in the entire New Testament. How is that possible?
Pain did not crush his joy. Instead, it clarified what mattered. The man in chains had more joy than many who walk around free. He believed joy was the supernatural response of a Christian who remembers who God is, what God has done, and where our hope is found.
Joy Is Not Automatic
Paul did not say, “Be joyful when life is easy.” He said, “Rejoice in the Lord always.” Then he repeated it. He wanted to make sure no one missed it. Joy is not automatic. It must be chosen. It must be guarded. It must be fought for. Joy is not pretending that life is perfect. It is remembering that God is good. Joy grows where gratitude lives.
Joy is born when we stop assuming life is ordinary and start recognizing that every breath, every person, every moment is a gift from God. Joy is worth the fight. It strengthens the heart. It honors the Lord. It gives hope to others. And it becomes a living testimony that our identity is not grounded in circumstances, but in Christ. Because of that, we can rejoice. Not sometimes. Not only when life feels special. We can rejoice in the Lord always.
Super fantastic may not be a phrase for you, but the idea behind it is powerful. Joy is a perspective. It is a way of seeing. And when we see clearly, joy is the most reasonable response.
