How do you define joy?
For the longest time, I let my circumstances dictate my level of joy. To me, joy was merely another word for happiness, an emotion tied to my ever-changing feelings. I remember crying out to God, asking, "Why can't you just make me happy? Change my mind and give me peace. I don't want to deal with this pain and worries anymore."
God had granted us the gift of free will to make our own choices. However, having free will scared me because of my tendency not to want to make mistakes and a distorted thought that regardless of the nature of my decisions, I would always suffer to be disciplined anyway. But then, I realized something powerful. Instead of changing my circumstances as I wished, He allowed me to go back to the Bible to demolish the misconceptions I had about God and rebuild my understanding of His true character and my purpose in this life. Through that, I realized He respects our decision and has enough ability to, “in all things, work for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” - Romans 8:28.
There was a time when I allowed my weaknesses revealed through difficult times to consume me, trapping myself in a cycle of darkness with no apparent way out. However, reflecting on Paul's time in prison serves as a powerful reminder of the unwavering strength found in the Gospel.
"For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him." - Philippians 1:29 (NLT),
True joy, I've come to understand, doesn't depend on external circumstances but rather comes with my transformed life through Christ's sacrifice and the hope of eternal life in His presence, where pain and sorrow cease to exist (Revelation 21:4).
I recently came across a story during our staff book study, which challenged my perspective on weakness. I learned that while I may still wrestle with lingering feelings from past struggles, it serves as a reminder to continually seek encounters with Jesus and trust in His incomparable strength. Through those times, I grew in an intimate relationship with Him.
We worry about the unknown for our future, but we are reminded to look at how God sincerely and faithfully has guided us until today and acknowledge His Sovereignty in our lives. He has never left us to navigate life's challenges alone. He also gave us the Holy Spirit to guide our paths and reassure us that He always dwells within us, and we in Him. The knowledge that the Creator of all things loves us and cares for us unconditionally fills us with a sense of joy and security. It's the assurance that no matter what life throws our way, we are safe in His embrace.
I thank God for whatever I have experienced in my life because those times drew me to seek and be closer to God. I pray that you too are able to hold onto the Truth and refuse to let anything take away the boundless joy found in accepting Jesus as our Savior and living a life as a Christ follower!
“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”