How do I find joy in the midst of trouble?

Ralph
00:00:00

Have you ever felt like you're drowning in a sea of troubles? Do you struggle to even find a glimmer of joy in your daily life? Well, today, we're tackling a question that resonates with so many of us: How do we find joy in the midst of trouble? I'll share some powerful scripture verses, some inspiring stories of triumph, and I’ll give you practical steps that will help you not just survive but thrive during life’s storms. Stay tuned as we explore how God's promises can be your anchor in turbulent times, and we are certainly living in turbulent times.

Narrator
00:00:41

Welcome to the Ask Ralph Podcast, where listening to an experienced financial professional with over 30 years of experience can help you make sense of confusing questions, current headlines and industry trends about taxes, small business, financial decision making, investment strategies, and even the art of proper budgeting. Ask Ralph makes the complex simple by sharing his real world knowledge from a Christian perspective with all things financial.

Now, here's your host, Ralph Estep Jr

Ralph
00:01:09

Let me start by thanking you for joining me today. I am grateful you've chosen to spend some time with me. Now, if you missed yesterday’s show, we talked about the best ways to save money when you're selling a home, and listen—these things could save you thousands of dollars. So I'm going to encourage you to listen to it and share it with others who might benefit as well.

Today’s question is a tough one. It comes from Vanessa, and she is really struggling. Let me tell you what Vanessa said. She said, "Dear Ralph, I'm going through an incredibly tough time right now. I've lost my job, my car broke down, and I'm struggling to keep up with my mortgage payments. I feel like my faith is being tested, and I'm finding it hard to stay joyful. How do I find joy in the midst of all this trouble?"

Vanessa, let me tell you this: Your struggle is real, and my heart goes out to you. And I'm here to help you on that journey, because the truth is, many of us have seasons of hardship in our lives, and they do truly test our faith. They certainly challenge our joy. And today, I'm going to confront those tests head-on. I’m going to wrestle with this issue and give you some tools that will help you find joy.

And remember this: If you've got a question like Vanessa, the whole point of the Ask Ralph show is to answer your questions. Go to justaskralph.com and submit your question there. And don’t forget, every Tuesday night at 7:00 PM Eastern Time, I go live with the Ask Ralph show. It’s a fantastic opportunity to interact with me and become part of the community.

Get your questions answered and just enjoy some time together. The best way to reach that is by going to askralphpodcast.com/live. Again, that’s askralphpodcast.com/live, and I’ll put that in the show notes.

ion really challenged me. I wanted to find just the right verse from the Bible, and the Bible never disappoints. I found this in the book of James, and it speaks directly to finding joy in the midst of trouble. So I’m going to share that today. James 1:2-4, says this: "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." And that’s a powerful verse. So let’s get started on this journey today, and let me help you transition to a point of finding joy, even in the most difficult times.

Vanessa, first, let me say this: God has not abandoned you. He just hasn’t. Sometimes we just need to hear that. We need to take a moment and reflect on that. You might not see it right this minute, but scripture tells us He uses these challenges to strengthen us. He uses these challenges to build our faith and sharpen our character. And trust me, I get it—it might seem hard to see that now, but He is there.

Let me tell you about my client; we’ll call him John. John’s a small business owner, and John seemed like he had it all together. His business was growing, his personal wealth was improving, and he was living what we call "the high life." Well, then the trouble started. All of a sudden, John faced a massive lawsuit in his business. His wife was diagnosed with a serious illness, and her treatment wasn't covered by insurance. They saw their savings being depleted at a rate you can’t even imagine.

That high life we talked about went very quickly to a kind of low life, if you want to call it that. And I remember John and I sat down together, and he said to me, "Ralph, I feel like my world is crumbling around me." And listen, at that moment, I wasn’t his accountant—that role was set aside, and I was simply a friend. All I could offer John in that moment was support, and I could offer him prayers. Those were the two things I could do.

You might be asking, "Ralph, how did John react to these challenges?" And I guess I should have mentioned this earlier—the thing you need to know about John is he’s a man of deep and sincere faith. So John didn’t just give in; he didn’t decide to live in despair. What John decided to do was lean into his faith.

I mean, this guy really leaned hard into his faith. John was a man who prayed regularly, and he started each day with prayer. His prayers would begin by thanking God daily for what he had. John was someone who found gratefulness in even the smallest things. John told me he joined a men’s group at his church for support. He and I also met, and I offered him strong financial advice—that was something I could do.

I helped him navigate his business challenges. Look, I’m not a doctor—I couldn’t help him with his wife’s diagnosis. But I could help him with his business, I could be a friend, I could be a prayer partner and a prayer warrior, and I could put my arm around him and say, "John, you’re not alone in this." You might be asking, "Ralph, what happened with John?"

I’d like to tell you his journey was simple, but it wasn’t. It wasn’t easy. But what made it work was John's strong faith. His faith was crucial—it helped him endure, and it helped him find some unexpected joy. He said to me, "Ralph, I can’t believe how much support I’m getting from my church." He told me, "I found joy in the quiet moments of prayer." And the truth is, as time went on, things did slowly settle down. The lawsuit was settled, and, guess what—his wife’s treatments were a complete success. His business recovered, and now it’s stronger than ever.

That’s a fantastic story. Let me tell you about another client; we’ll call her Maria. Now, Maria faced a different kind of trial altogether. Maria is a single mom, and during the pandemic, she lost her job. I remember her telling me, "Ralph, I’m struggling to provide for my kids. I’m trying to figure out how to put food on the table, how to pay for winter coats, how to do everything I need to do as a single mom."

But despite everything, Maria still found joy. She focused on what she could give, not what she lacked. That was her focus, her goal—to find joy in giving what she could, rather than dwelling on what she didn’t have. One of the things Maria did was volunteer at a food bank. I remember asking her, "Why do you do that, Maria? You’ve got enough going on in your life."

She said, "Ralph, it lifts my spirits." And the best part? It provided a networking opportunity. So guess what? Maria ended up finding a job through someone else who volunteered at that food bank.

She told me, "Ralph, working as a volunteer allowed me to appreciate what I still had." The biggest thing she said about that experience was, "I looked around at all these people who were in need, and I realized, yeah, I’m hurting, I don’t have a job, things are tight, but I look around and see others who are suffering even more."

Just think about it—because of that decision to volunteer, it led her to finding a new job. Someone saw her character, her dedication, and her compassion, even in the midst of her own challenges. Let me tell you about another one of my clients. We’ll call him David. David, like John, is a small business owner. And listen to this list of setbacks—talk about a tough time. I remember David telling me, "Ralph, I don’t know what I’m going to do. My main supplier for my product just went bankrupt, and I’ve got hundreds of unfilled orders. Now I’m getting email after email, minute by minute, from angry customers saying, 'David, where is my product?'"

And if that wasn’t bad enough, he then had a fire that damaged his warehouse, destroying part of the inventory he was already struggling to get. The truth is, these setbacks nearly broke him. I remember one day we had a conference call, and I was just checking in to see how he was doing. He said, "Ralph, I feel like giving up. I’m ready to throw in the towel and walk away to do something else." But what did David do? David chose to trust in God’s promises. He clung to this verse, and this is my favorite book of the Bible: Romans 8:28. It says, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him."

The truth is, David didn’t see these things as failures. He saw them as opportunities. He saw them as ways to grow and develop innovation. For David, these challenges prompted him to reassess his business model. He told me, "Ralph, I realized I needed to diversify my supplier base. I couldn’t be tied to just one supplier." I talk about this all the time on the show—he didn’t want all his eggs in one basket. And after that, he told me, "Ralph, I’ve really learned from this lesson. I’ve also invested in better safety measures to prevent another warehouse fire." And here’s the best part of the whole story. What did he do?

He also started a support group. He created a group for local business owners where they could share their challenges and triumphs. He became a mentor. In the end, he rebuilt his business to be stronger than ever. But more importantly, he found new purpose in mentoring others. That became his mission field. He said to me, "Ralph, if I hadn’t gone through these challenges, I probably would have never done this. But now, I have a purpose. Everything I’m doing now is focused on helping and mentoring others."

Let me share another client story with you; let’s call her Lisa. Now, Lisa didn’t have the same business or financial challenges, but Lisa suffered from a chronic health issue. And because of that, she couldn’t work consistently. I remember Lisa telling me, "Ralph, I feel discouraged." She once said, "Ralph, why would God allow me to suffer like this? I want to work, I want to provide, but this chronic health issue just won’t let me."

You might ask, "What did she do?" Well, this is the best part—she made a conscious decision. She thought about it, put it all in perspective, and chose to cultivate gratitude. I talk about gratitude all the time on the show, and Lisa started keeping a gratitude journal. I’ve mentioned this practice before—she wrote down three things each day that she was grateful for, no matter how big or small. She committed to finding three things to be grateful for every single day.

So, you might ask, "What happened with Lisa?" I’d love to tell you that she was cured of her chronic illness, but that didn’t happen. What did happen, though, was that this practice of gratitude transformed her outlook. It gave her a fresh perspective. She found blessings in the midst of her pain. She told me, "Ralph, I’ve found support from my family. I’ve learned to look out my window and appreciate the beauty of nature." And one more thing she said, "I can’t believe the blessings from the kindness of my neighbors."

She once confided in me, "Ralph, these things didn’t change my immediate circumstances, but they dramatically changed how I experienced them." She said, "I have found joy in unexpected places." And the most beautiful part—she said to me, and it floored me, "Ralph, I have felt God’s presence more tangibly in my daily life." She’s still suffering with that chronic illness, but what did she say? "I felt God’s presence more tangibly in my daily life, just by being grateful for what I do have."

So, you might be asking, "Ralph, big picture, what do these stories really tell us?" I think the first thing is, they remind us that finding joy in trouble isn’t about denying our pain. Lisa still has chronic pain; others went through fires, lost jobs, and other hardships. You can’t pretend everything is fine. The point is, finding joy in trouble
isn’t about denying our pain; it’s about choosing to trust God. That’s the whole thing here. It’s about looking for His provision, even in the darkest times of our lives. That’s where the rubber meets the road—that’s the tough part. I talk about this on the show all the time: embracing the journey. Think about it—finding joy in the journey, even amidst challenges, is about embracing those things in the journey.

So, you might ask, "Ralph, what are some practical steps I can take?" I’m going to share those with you in just a few minutes, but let me ask you a few questions first. Do you ever feel overwhelmed with your finances? Do you feel like you're all alone? Do you feel like you want to find financial freedom? Do you want to escape the bondage of debt? Do you want to align your finances with your faith?

Do you feel like your dreams are slipping away? Do you live in financial instability? Are you living paycheck to paycheck? Do you feel frustrated, hopeless, and stuck? Well, guess what? The best thing I can say to you is, there is hope. I want to invite you to join the Ask Ralph show insiders group. We’ve got a community of people who feel the same as you—people who are facing these same challenges. But the difference is, they’re mastering their finances. They’re living their dreams. They’ve found that peace of mind. And listen, they’re feeling the same pain points you’re feeling.

But they’re committed to seeking that balance between their finances and their faith. And best of all, the insider’s group is sharing answers, solutions, and hope. Apply to join our community. Just go to askralphpodcast.com/group and complete the questionnaire. Again, that’s askralphpodcast.com/group, and complete the questionnaire.

Do it now; become a member of the insider's team. I'm going to close in prayer in a second, but first let me share these practical steps I promised. The first thing I want you to do—and I encourage you to make a habit of it—is to start each day with gratitude. Make a simple list of three things you’re thankful for, no matter how small they are. The second thing I’ll tell you:

And if you listen on Sundays, I get a little more spiritual—immerse yourself in scripture. I’m going to give you a few verses that I meditated on in preparation for today’s show. This one comes from Romans, again my favorite book of the Bible. Chapter 15, verse 13, says, "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."

Think about that for a second. Scripture says that you will overflow with hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. Here’s another good one: Psalm 30:5. It says, "Weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning." That’s probably one of my favorite quotes from the Bible. Yes, it’s admitting that weeping may stay for the night—you are going to have tough times, you are going to go through that journey of trials and tribulations. But what is the promise that God is showing us? He says, "Rejoicing comes in the morning."

The book of Isaiah 41:10, says this: "Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you. Yes, I will help you." So, you’ve got to immerse yourself in scripture; meditate on these verses. When you’re having a tough time, go read these three verses. Go read the Bible and really get into it. Another thing that each of these stories brought out is that you’ve got to seek community. You can’t isolate yourself. Reach out to your church family or join a support group.

Join the Ask Ralph insiders group and share your struggles and triumphs. It’s a place for us to come together and help each other out. Like Maria found, look for ways to serve others—you might find that helping others brings unexpected joy, just as it did for her.

You also need to practice self-care. Listen, you have to take care of your physical and mental health. If you’re not doing those things, you’re going to struggle even more. You’ve got to exercise, eat well, and get enough rest. And let me tell you—I’m preaching to the choir here because these are things I need to work on too.

I need to increase my exercise, do a better job of eating well, and I need to get more rest. But you’ve got to practice self-care. Another thing I want you to do is focus on God’s promises. Think about those scripture verses. Meditate on them regularly and allow their truths to permeate your heart and mind. Plant those seeds of God’s promises and watch them grow. Fertilize them by staying involved with your church, reading scripture, and meditating on these things. And one more thing: You’ve got to trust in God’s plan. Remember what Jeremiah 29,:11 says: it assures us that God has plans to prosper us. He’s got plans to prosper us and give us hope and a future. And last but not least, view challenges as opportunities for growth. Look at my client David. You’ve got to try to see how God might be using your trials to refine and strengthen you.

And remember this: Joy isn’t about the absence of trouble. You’re going to have trouble. If anybody tells you you’re going to live a life without trouble, they’re lying—bold-faced lying to you. Joy isn’t the absence of trouble; it’s the presence of God in the midst of that trouble. That is truly the joy. As we cultivate a positive mindset rooted in faith, we can approach difficulties with optimism, creativity, and view them as opportunities for personal growth and development.

Well, let me close with a prayer. Heavenly Father, we come before you with grateful hearts, even in the midst of our troubles. We thank you for your unfailing love and provision. For those who are struggling to find you, we ask for your comfort and peace that surpasses all understanding, as your word says. Help us to fix our eyes on you, the author and perfecter of our faith. Give us the strength to endure, the wisdom to learn from our trials, and more importantly, the courage to keep moving forward. We trust in your promise that you will work all things for the good of those who love you.

And we love you, Lord. Fill us with your joy, even in the darkest of times. And I ask this in the precious name of Jesus. Amen. I know we got into it today—we explored how to find joy in the midst of trouble. We talked about drawing strength from scripture and the experiences of others who’ve walked this path.

You are not alone. Tomorrow, we’ll be discussing another important topic, and that is: What are the biggest financial challenges for couples retiring at different ages? This is a complex financial situation, so make sure you tune in tomorrow for some practical advice you won’t want to miss. Remember this—I think you can hear it in my voice today—my passion is to help you achieve financial success. I want to see you live out your dreams.

I want to see you grow in your faith, because those two things can go hand in hand. And I know if you join the group, if you stay involved with us, together we can master your finances from a Christian perspective. So, as I always encourage you: Stay financially savvy out there, get into the scripture, meditate on finding that joy in the journey, and may God abundantly bless you on this Sunday.

Narrator
00:23:44

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