How to Celebrate When Life Hurts

Joy and suffering often appear to be enemies polar opposites that cannot occupy the same space. But Scripture, and life, tell us a different story.

What does it mean to practice joy when life doesn’t feel joyful? How can you celebrate in seasons marked by sorrow, injustice, or disappointment? These aren’t questions with simple answers. Yet they lead us to one of the most profound truths of the Christian life joy and suffering are not mutually exclusive. In Christ, they often coexist.

The story of Billy and his fiancée illustrates this. Their wedding was a moment of deep happiness, yet shadowed by sorrow. Despite fulfilling every legal requirement, Billy’s parents were denied visas to attend their son’s wedding. A moment that should have united two families was fractured by bureaucracy and loss.

And yet they celebrated. They cried and rejoiced. They pressed their heads together over a cell phone during the reception, straining to hear words of blessing from across a border. Sorrow and celebration danced together.

Celebration as a Spiritual Discipline

In his book The Life You’ve Always Wanted, John Ortberg describes celebration as a spiritual discipline not a fleeting emotion, but a deliberate choice. He writes:

“When we celebrate, we exercise our ability to see and feel goodness in the simplest gifts of God. We are able to take delight today in something we wouldn’t have even noticed yesterday. Our capacity for joy increases.”

This means that celebration isn’t something reserved for perfect moments. It’s something we practice. Something we pursue. Something we build into our lives even when grief is still present.

As Christians, we are uniquely equipped to do this. We follow a Savior who was “a man of sorrows” and yet filled with joy (Isaiah 53:3; John 15:11). We are a people who grieve with hope (1 Thessalonians 4:13), suffer with purpose (Romans 5:3–5), and rejoice always (Philippians 4:4) even when it’s hard.

The “And Yet” of the Christian Life

Pain and beauty. Heartache and joy. Injustice and hope. These opposites often exist side by side. The Bible doesn’t shy away from this tension it embraces it.

• Joseph was betrayed and imprisoned and yet God used it to save many lives (Genesis 50:20).

• David wept in caves while running for his life and yet he worshiped and wrote psalms of praise.

• Jesus endured the cross and yet “for the joy set before him” he persevered (Hebrews 12:2).

“And yet” is a holy conjunction. It makes room for both mourning and dancing, both ashes and beauty, both crucifixion and resurrection.

Our ability to celebrate, even in sorrow, is a testimony to the faithfulness of God and the resilience of His people.

Learning from the Margins

Too often, we reduce the lessons of the suffering to one takeaway contentment. We visit a community in poverty, see their smiles, and think, “Wow, I should be more grateful for what I have.”

Gratitude is good but it's not the whole lesson.

The poor, the marginalized, and the persecuted often hold treasures that many in comfort and affluence never learn. They can teach us:

• How to hope in darkness.

• How to wait for justice with dignity.

• How to fight back with love and courage.

• How to celebrate with nothing but faith and each other.

The apostle Paul described the Macedonian churches as having “extreme poverty” and yet they overflowed in “abundant joy” and generosity (2 Corinthians 8:2). Joy that isn’t rooted in material wealth or social status is joy that cannot be shaken.

In many global churches today, believers worship with hands lifted while the threat of violence, persecution, or displacement looms outside their doors. Their joy is not naive it’s defiant. It proclaims, “Our God is worthy, even here.”

The Body of Christ Needs Every Voice

If our churches are siloed racially, culturally, economically we miss out. We need the witness of those who’ve suffered, because they teach the rest of us how to celebrate with depth.

Psalm 34:18 reminds us, “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted.” But perhaps it's also true that the brokenhearted are often nearest to the Lord and have the most to teach us about joy.

To know deep joy, we must be willing to sit with those who have known deep suffering. Only then do we begin to understand how to sing through tears, dance in protest, and laugh in hope.

Celebrate Anyway

In a world overflowing with injustice, racism, and pain, it can feel wrong even selfish to celebrate. But celebration in the midst of sorrow is not denial. It is resistance.

• It resists the narrative that suffering has the final word.

• It resists the lie that joy is only for the privileged.

• It declares that God is still good, life is still sacred, and hope is still alive.

This Christmas, or in whatever season you find yourself, don't wait for the pain to pass to find joy. Look for the “and yet.” Look for the goodness that still lingers in a smile, a shared meal, a baby’s laugh, a remembered hymn.

Let those who’ve known suffering guide you. Let their songs become your songs.

As Billy and his bride did on their wedding day, press your head close to the voices you love, listen for the blessing, and dance even if it hurts.

If this encouraged you, consider sharing it with someone who is learning how to celebrate through sorrow, or subscribe to our newsletter for more stories of faith and hope.