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“Is it just me, or do people seem crankier, more rushed, and more stressed than ever? I notice it in the grocery store aisles and especially on the road. Everyone seems to be in a hurry, often at everyone else’s expense. Courtesy has flown out the window like a cigarette butt carelessly flicked onto the pavement.”

I often ponder this and wonder what has made people so ready for a fight, so ready to cancel a friendship, an ad, a conversation? What makes people want to bring up others flaws or turn a difference in opinion into a national crisis? I was listening to a sermon on the radio where the preacher reminded his audience of Jesus’ teaching of end times. He declared that many would turn from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. (Matthew 24: 10-12). In the Easy translation, verse 12 reads as “More and more people everywhere will be doing very bad things. Because of this, many people will no longer love each other in the way that they did before.”  Does that sound familiar? 2 Timothy warns us that people will be lovers of themselves, of money, they will be boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient, ungrateful, unholy, not have love, be unforgiving, slanderous, no self-control, brutal, haters of good, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than God (vs 1-3).

I really believe this is the kind of culture we’re living in right now. It feels like people are almost looking for a fight. Just scroll through social media for a few minutes and you’ll see it; people goading others into a fight or some trolling posts just to type something hateful. Turn on the news and it’s the same story—road rage, shootings, hostage situations, kidnappings, gang violence… it just keeps going. I know crime has always existed, but lately it feels heavier, like it’s pressing in on us. Do you feel that too? Have you ever been on the receiving end of cancel culture? Or, if we’re being honest, have you ever found yourself canceling someone else? Have you ever felt the enticement to be judgmental to someone who isn’t like you? These are the thoughts we have to take hold of and turn to joy instead. And we can!

The Bible teaches us to stand firm in our faith and in what is right, but not to do so in a hateful or demeaning way. We should never compromise God’s word, yet we are not called to go on social media rants that tear down those who think differently than us. We are called to speak the truth in love and leave the rest to God. He is the one that created the world and the commandments, not us.

Jesus warned that many would be deceived, but He also calls us to remain steadfast. We do not know when He will return, so we must be ready. Those who stand firm in their faith will be saved. And even when the world resists or rejects it, we are still called to share the gospel with love and faithfulness.

You may ask how it is possible to find joy each day when I have just carved a grim picture.  We can’t ignore the darkness around us, but we can focus on the light around us. Joy grows when we slow down to notice the beauty around us and step away from the noise. It grows when we remember that God is still at work, even here, even now. Joy is found in small, faithful choices of gratitude, kindness, and trust right in the middle of a broken world. Joy can be found in a baby’s laugh, the text message from a good friend, an unexpected card in the mail, your favorite song on the radio, a melody of birds on your morning walk, and so many other pleasures. When everything feels heavy, choosing joy isn’t denial; it’s faith. Find joy in the small things because God has the big things.