Life is full of ups and downs. One day you’re loving life, but then inevitably the next day something happens to drag you down.

Our emotions ride the peaks and valleys of life. When life is good, you feel happy, blissful, and even sometimes euphoric. When bad things happen, big or small, you feel anxious, frustrated, stressed, depressed, grieved, and even sometimes hopeless.

Perhaps you’re experiencing motion sickness from all of these ups and downs. Is there a way to get off this emotional roller coaster? Yes, you can: you can have joy.

 Now, you might be thinking, “isn’t joy just another emotion?” Yes, it is. However, whereas happiness can come and go based on your circumstances, joy has its foundation in something deeper. You can have joy that’s rooted in God and what he’s done for you.

 Jesus told his followers, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33b).

Here’s how Jesus overcame the troubles of the world: “[God] has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil, or fade” (1 Peter 1:3b-4).

Jesus died on a cross and was buried in a tomb, but he didn’t stay dead: he was raised to life. Jesus defeated the worst and most tragic thing we experience in life: death.

Resurrection isn’t just Jesus’ story; it can be ours, too. When we believe and place our trust in Jesus, God promises to raise us to new life so that we can live forever with him. This is where true joy is found: having hope in the resurrection of Jesus.

 Think about it: if you have this hope of eternal life, then nothing that life throws at you can steal your joy. Even death doesn’t win.

That’s why the Bible goes on to say this: “In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith – of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire – may result in praise, glory, and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed… even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy” (1 Peter 1:6-7, 8b).

With Jesus, you’ll still experience hard times, sadness, and suffering. It’s part of life. But with Jesus, those trials aren’t the whole story, and because of that, you can have joy.

 Do you want to experience the joy that God has for you? If so, or if you want to learn more, click or tap on the get involved button below.