Why Joy Is the First Thing to Go (And How Redemption Brings It Back)

Twice in the past few months I went through something hard, and both times I noticed the same pattern. The first things I lost were my peace and my joy. Worry moved in. Anxiety moved in. Mistrust moved in. I had to work my way back through it, and this morning's scripture named exactly what was happening.

"In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace." Ephesians 1:7 NIV

The narrator from North Palm Worship opened with a question that got me immediately. Have you noticed that joy is the first thing to go when you are going through something? She shared that Paul wrote this to the church at Ephesus because he noticed the same thing, and this verse was his reminder to them of who they are. She is right. From my own experience, peace and joy are the first things you lose when you stop trusting Him, when you allow doubt and unbelief to enter your mind.

Redemption is now one of my favorite words. Thanks be to God.

Here is what it means in plain language. The Greek word is apolytrosis, which means release by the payment of a ransom. Redemption is being bought back and set free. When I first read the verse, I thought of it as another chance, and it is that. And it is more. Jesus paid the full price on the cross, so the debt of everything in your past is settled. You get another chance because the payment already cleared.

Then the verse says forgiveness comes "in accordance with the riches of God's grace." That phrase is about measure. God forgives according to how rich His grace is, and His grace is endless. His grace renews for us every day. Your forgiveness is sized by His abundance, and that supply refreshes every single morning.

The narrator reminded us that this verse says we have been set free from shame, guilt, sin, and the weight of our past. Because Jesus paid the price on the cross, we are free and we are forgiven. Failure is fully covered, and God has lavished us with grace that refreshes daily. Here is why that matters. Our joy returns to us when we remember what He has done for us, when we worship Him in the middle of it.

I have lived this. In those two recent struggles, worry, anxiety, and mistrust replaced my peace and joy, and as I began to stop questioning Him and worship Him again, the joy came back. I got my peace back. It is the best feeling ever.

The enemy wants you in regret. He wants you replaying your failures on a loop. God says worship in response to that. That is when the joy starts to come back, when there is a fresh remembrance that the chains have been broken, that you have been forgiven and set free, and that His grace is better than anything in your past.

The devotional I read, The Center of Salvation, points out that the core of our Christian faith is found in the power of salvation achieved through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and Paul's letter to the church at Ephesus is a reminder of it. Because Jesus was perfect, He was able to sacrifice Himself for us so we could have forgiveness of sins and a relationship with God. His death and resurrection covered every sin, past, present, and future, and now nothing can separate us from the love God has for us.

Think about that. The Creator of the world, who has all the power, gave up His own Son so we could be free of the many mistakes we make daily. And it gets better. He wants the relationship. He delights in it. He enters it gladly and on purpose. That knowledge alone should make us feel joyful and at peace.

So here is the question the devotional left me with, and I am handing it to you. Are you allowing Jesus' sacrifice to set you free, or are you allowing the devil to keep reminding you of your mistakes?

Take a moment today to cultivate your relationship with God. Remind yourself of His promises. Thank Him for everything He has done and everything He is going to do. Ask Him to fill you with the knowledge of His love and His grace so you can love others the way He loves you and be the disciple you were meant to be.

Peace, Love and Joy always. Infinite Faith and Favor | InfiniteFaithandFavor.com