Many Christians Secretly Struggle to Enjoy Their Faith

If you've ever whispered, “I think I was happier before I became a Christian,” you're not alone. For many, the Christian life can feel less like a journey from darkness to light and more like a prolonged season of spiritual overcast. There’s real effort Bible reading, prayer, church attendance but little joy. There’s conviction over sin, even victory in some areas, yet a persistent emptiness remains.

This is no minor concern. The apostle John writes, “This is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3). That verse stings if your experience has been one of joyless obedience. But there is profound hope embedded in that scripture and an invitation to look deeper into your walk with Christ.

Love Means Listening

For many, “loving God” has come to mean warm thoughts, periodic prayer, or simply believing He exists. But Scripture sets a firmer standard: "If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15). Love is measured not in sentiment, but in submission.

And here's a surprising command: "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice” (Philippians 4:4). Yes, joy is a command too. That means that our struggle with joy is not something to shrug off. It’s not a personality quirk or a temporary dry season. It’s a spiritual problem worth confronting with seriousness and with faith.

Obedience Shouldn’t Be a Burden

It’s true that obedience can be painful. Jesus compared it to gouging out an eye (Matthew 5:29). Yet John insists that God’s commands are “not burdensome.” How can that be?

Because obedience for the believer is not just duty; it's delight. The commands of Christ, while sometimes painful to the flesh, are life-giving to the soul. They are not chains, but wings.

This is why Jesus said, “My yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:30). When obedience feels like shackles, not wings, it might be a sign that you're missing the transforming grace that makes a new creature truly new.

Born Again Means Born Anew

A Christian is someone who has been born of God (1 John 5:4). That rebirth changes appetites, goals, loves, and even sources of joy. Old pleasures lose their taste; sin begins to sour. The things of God—His Word, His presence, His people—become new joys.

Of course, this doesn’t happen all at once. But the trajectory changes. As 2 Corinthians 5:17 declares, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”

Yet, what if this transformation hasn’t yet produced delight in God? What if the “new life” feels like a downgrade?

The Butterfly That Misses Being a Caterpillar

Imagine a caterpillar that has become a butterfly but doesn't yet know how to fly. Its wings get tangled on twigs. Crawling, its former mode of life, feels more familiar even if awkward. It tries to retreat to its cocoon, unaware that what now feels foreign was meant to be its freedom.

That may be you.

You’ve been transformed, but your habits, desires, and environment haven't yet caught up. You linger between two worlds heaven and earth, spirit and flesh and the dissonance robs you of joy. You have too much of Christ to enjoy the world, and too much of the world to enjoy Christ.

This in-between place is often where spiritual growth begins.

What If You’re Not Actually Born Again?

And yet, there’s a more sobering possibility. Maybe you’re not between two worlds. Maybe you’re still in the old one. Jesus warned of those who profess Him with their lips but do not obey Him from the heart (Luke 6:46).

The world still holds your affection. Earthly pleasures still dictate your priorities. Like Lot’s wife, you may have begun to leave the City of Destruction, but your heart still longs for it (Luke 17:32). Like Israel, you might prefer slavery in Egypt to freedom in the wilderness if it means comfort.

In Deuteronomy 28:47–48, God rebukes joyless service. “Because you did not serve the Lord your God with joyfulness and gladness of heart, because of the abundance of all things, therefore you shall serve your enemies.” Mere obedience without joy can signal a deeper disconnect one that must be healed not by effort, but by grace.

How Do You Climb Out?

The good news is that if you are truly in Christ, He will not leave you in this place forever. But there are steps to take:

• Examine your heart. What captivates your attention? What do you daydream about? What sins are you unwilling to part with?

• Seek Christ relentlessly. Ask Him to show you His glory like Moses did. Pray the prayers of David: “Restore to me the joy of your salvation” (Psalm 51:12).

• Stay in the means of grace. Don’t abandon the Word, prayer, fellowship, or worship. These are lifelines, even when they feel dry.

• Do not depend on feelings. Your faith is not anchored in your emotional state, but in the finished work of Jesus. Faith gives us sight when feelings fail.

Scripture reminds us, “This is the victory that has overcome the world our faith” (1 John 5:4). Faith doesn’t only defeat sin; it awakens joy. It teaches your heart to see beauty where it once saw burden.

Even if your wings feel unfamiliar now, you will fly. Even if joy feels far off, it will come. If you are truly new in Christ, you will one day declare, not out of obligation but out of overflowing affection, “In your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11).

So keep crawling forward your wings will soon catch the wind.

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