Biblical Answer

When feeling overwhelmed, it can be challenging to find joy in the simple things in life. However, as the Bible teaches, joy is a gift from God that we can experience even in the midst of suffering. In fact, the Bible says that God "richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment" (1 Tim. 6:17). This means that everything good in life, including eating, drinking, working, and even relationships, can bring us joy. The key is to recognize that joy comes from God and not from the things themselves. This frees us to take joy in the things He has blessed us with, rather than relying on them to bring us happiness.

One of the barriers to experiencing joy is the tendency to focus on ourselves and our own struggles. When we're feeling overwhelmed, it's easy to get caught up in our own problems and lose sight of the good things in life. However, the Bible encourages us to focus on God and the things that are true, noble, right, pure, and lovely (Phil. 4:8). By doing so, we can begin to experience joy in the midst of our struggles. This requires us to become present to the moment, to breathe, and to look for where the Father is at work and join in. As we do this, we can start to experience the joy that comes from being connected to God and His presence in our lives.

In order to find joy in the simple things in life, we need to become experts in it. Joy is not something that we can just "turn on" or "turn off" at will; it requires practice and time to develop. However, with consistent effort, we can start to experience joy in even the most mundane tasks. By focusing on God and the good things in life, and by being present to the moment, we can start to experience the joy that comes from being connected to Him. As the Bible says, "Joy abides and grows over time as you add to what you have" (Psalm 16:11). So, even in the midst of overwhelming circumstances, we can choose to pursue joy and experience it in our lives.