How to Find Joy in the Midst of Sorrow

Sorrow has a way of arriving uninvited—and staying longer than we expect. Loss reshapes our lives, our prayers, and sometimes even our faith. If you’ve ever wondered how to find joy in the midst of sorrow, Scripture offers a surprising truth: Joy and grief are not enemies. In Christ, they can exist together—held by His presence, anchored in hope.

 

When Grief Enters the Story

Loss comes in many forms. Sometimes it’s the death of someone we love. Other times it’s the loss of a dream, a marriage, a sense of safety, or the future we thought would unfold a certain way. Grief doesn’t ask permission, and it doesn’t follow a tidy timeline.

For many believers, sorrow raises an unsettling question: If God is good, why does He let me hurt like this? And perhaps just as real: Is joy still possible during all this?

Scripture doesn’t deny the reality of grief. Instead, it gives us a way to walk through it.

We Grieve—But Not Without Hope

The apostle Paul writes with tenderness and clarity:

“We do not want you to be uninformed… about those who have fallen asleep, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope” (1 Thessalonians 4:13).

He knew that each of us would go through hard situations—that we would grieve sometimes. But our grief shouldn’t look the same as the world’s. We grieve as people who belong to Christ.

So what does that mean in real life?

Christian hope doesn’t erase sorrow, but it does change its shape. We still weep. We still ache. But grief is no longer empty, and it’s no longer final. Instead, it’s held within the larger story of God’s faithfulness and eternal promises.

When Joy and Sorrow Walk Together

One of the hardest truths to accept is that joy does not always arrive after sorrow. Sometimes it meets us inside it.

Rosemary Pope’s testimony, shared more fully in her book Joy in Suffering, shares that truth powerfully. Rosemary endured multiple episodes of miscarriage and stillbirth after she and her high school sweetheart got married. The first time, it absolutely gutted her. The second time was also a struggle. After carrying a child whose condition was incompatible with life, she and her husband were given just a few hours with their daughter.

Later on, Rosemary said something about that day that feels almost impossible to understand:

“If I could go back and relive a day, I would relive that day.”

She explains that it was not because the pain was absent—but because the presence of God was unmistakable. She described it as “the peace that passes all understanding,” a peace that did not cancel grief, but surrounded it.

This is the kind of joy Scripture speaks of—not happiness or emotional relief, but a settled assurance of God’s nearness.

Joy Is Not Denial—It Is Presence

The world often treats joy as the opposite of sorrow. Scripture presents it differently.

Biblical joy flows from relationship. It is rooted in knowing Who is with us, not in escaping what we feel. Jesus Himself was “a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief” (Isaiah 53:3), yet He carried unshakable communion with the Father.

Joy, then, is not pretending everything is fine. It is discovering that God is still good—even here. Rosemary reflected on this tension honestly:

“It felt like my faith had been violated.”

And yet, in that raw place, she learned something many of us only learn through loss: Faith often deepens when it’s surrendered, not explained.

How Christ Meets Us in Our Grief

When sorrow enters our lives, God does not rush us through it. He walks with us.

• God listens when words fail.
• He carries us when strength is gone.
• He comforts us in ways that we can’t reason through, only receive.

The Holy Spirit is called the Comforter for a reason. “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted…” (Psalm 34:18). His presence does not remove pain—but it keeps pain from having the final word. After multiple losses, Rosemary wanted to share this encouragement with others who are struggling:

“Even though they may be going through something really hard, they can still smile and have good days and know that He is there with them through it all.”

That’s not the shallow optimism of someone who’s never suffered. That’s resurrection hope.

You Are Not Alone

If you’re walking through sorrow right now, hear this clearly: You are not weak for grieving, and you’re not faithless for hurting. God does not ask you to manufacture joy. He invites you to receive His presence.

Joy in Christ grows quietly—through prayer, through tears, through worship, through community, and through moments of grace that arrive unexpectedly. And God is with you all the way.

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