Our joy is not dependent on circumstances. Sometimes, that is hard to understand and even harder on which to follow through. This daily devotional explores how God wants us to find joy in Him.
Nuggets
- God is in charge of our circumstances and, therefore, our joy.
- We have to live our lives in a way that we are following Jesus in all circumstances.
- But most importantly, our joy comes from our relationship with God, not from our relationship with humans.
- Joy is a choice with peace a bi-product of joy.
So, I have told you that God gave these devotions to me first. I got the idea for this devotion through one of the lessons with my Ladies. I copied the template I use and went through the evolution of a title Who Is In Charge Anyway? to Peace Comes From Joy. Then I put it aside and wrote on others.
I schedule my writing for the mornings. I go to the bottom of my “recent” list in Word and write on the oldest non-finished devotion. This popped up Wednesday.
Because of my move to a new apartmeni, the internet is still off. Half the furniture is at the old place. I still haven’t started on the storage unit (I’ve got a little over a week before I have to be out!).
My circumstances are not promoting joy!
Yep, God is talking to me first on this one.
Who Is in Charge Anyway?
God is in charge of our circumstances and, therefore, our joy.
I was told once that I was in charge one someone else’s happiness. I’m going, “Nope, not me. You are. It’s your happiness.”
Yes, my actions and words can affect your happiness. However, happiness is an emotion. I cannot control your emotions.
You are going to respond in character to whatever situation in which you find yourself. Our character is our thoughts, feelings, and actions all added together.
As much as we think we can change another person, we can’t change another person’s character.
It is our choice as to whether we are going to focus on the negativity or if we are going to choose to be happy anyway.
When Actions Don't Follow Words
We have to live our lives in a way that we are following Jesus in all circumstances.
I was also told that my actions did not follow my words. How could I have ended a relationship when I was always happy?
I just had to shake my head on that one. I had point blank given reasons the previous year why I thought the relationship should end. I had made my feelings known that the relationship was not right for years before that, sometimes (okay, many times) at the top of my lungs. Others talked to me about how they could see that I was struggling in the relationship.
But then I got to thinking. A month before the relationship imploded, I was asking myself was the good in the relationship still outweighing the bad? I had made the commitment that I would stay as long as the good outweighed the bad.
I also thought about how I always made the choice to be content in my circumstances.
Contentment is being satisfied regardless of the circumstances of our lives.
Devotions in the Contentment Leads to Tranquility series
Yes, that is very hard. But I always looked for the silver lining. I always looked for the comic relief.
Joy Comes From God
You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore (Ps. 116: 11 ESV)
But most importantly, our joy comes from our relationship with God, not from our relationship with humans. Joy, a fruit of the Spirit given to us by the Holy Spirit, is an outward expression of an inward feeling of thanksgiving and the consciousness of God’s infinite goodness that enlivens and comforts us.
I am a child of the King. My King had defeated the ruler of this world. I knew how the story was going to end.
Since I knew all of that, I knew whatever I was facing was temporary. I knew my God was bigger than any problem that could and would come my way.
I chose to focus on God, the One true King. He is in control, not Satan and not me. I could focus on Him and His victory.
That gave me joy. Plain and simple. Once I decided where my focus would be, I could focus on the positive.
Peace Comes from Joy
Joy is a choice with peace a bi-product of joy. Peace is a fruit of righteousness manifested in an inward tranquility resulting from a balanced life with spiritual order, equity, and truth that implies cooperation, humility, integrity, communication, and cohesiveness; and is a fruit of the Spirit that translates rest into tranquility with God, ourselves, and others.
To read a related devotion, click the button below.
Once I chose to focus on the One Who was in control of everything (Phil. 4: 6-7), had a plan for my life (Jer. 29: 11), and knew how the story will end (see Revelations), I didn’t have to struggle as much. The peace and contentment started to flow.
How Do We Apply This?
You are probably going, “Chick, do you know how hard that is?” Yes, I do. It is not easy because it is counter to what this world is all about.
Satan wants you to focus on the negative. He wants you to keep saying your life, your happiness, your joy, your peace. It is his hope that, because you don’t see happiness, joy, and peace, you will blame God.
Your happiness, joy, and peace increases when you focus on God. To some, that seems unfathomable. Shouldn’t you do all you can to try to work to improve these yourself?
Joy is a gift from God. Proverbs 10: 28 says, “The hope of the righteous is joy, but the expectation of the wicked will perish” (CSB). We need to look to Him to tap into that joy.
To do that, we will need to do two things. It will have to be a conscious decision. It will have to be a continuous decision.
It is a conscious decision because it is us giving God control of our lives. We are making the choice to not focus on us and our circumstances. We are choosing to follow His Will for our lives.
We need to focus on the blessings He has given us and will give us. Focusing on the negative destroys our contentment in life. Putting on focus on the good — even with the bad around — comforts us and encourages us.
It is a continuous decision because it will have to be made daily — almost hourly. It isn’t a one, and done, decision.
Life changes in the blink of an eye. We have to chose in each situation where our focus will be. We need to choose God, His Will, and His way.
So, if we respond in character, how do we change our character? God is in the process of doing that.
This is what happens as we navigate the Sanctification Road. As we grow in our faith in Him, He will change us to be more in His image.
Sanctification is the transformation of mind, body, and soul, which begins with regeneration, gradually changes our nature and morals through the promptings of the Holy Spirit, and ends with perfected state of spiritual wholeness or completeness.
- Regeneration is being changed from spiritually dead to spiritually alive and the internal requickening in us that God brings about through the work of the Holy Spirit to give us new character.
- Spiritual death is the separation from God that occurred as a consequence of Adam and Eve’s original sin. The spiritually alive are those who have ABCDed, so they are no longer separated from God.
- The perfected state indicates maturity has been reached because the combination of the spiritual graces, when all are present, form spiritual wholeness or completeness.
- Spiritual graces are worldly morals that have been submitted to God to further His kingdom instead of enhancing this world.
- Faith is a gift from God that enhances the conviction that the doctrines revealed in God’s Word are true, even if we do not understand all aspects of them, a belief which impacts our lives and distinguishes us from others.
The ABCDs of Salvation
If you have not become a believer in Christ, please read through the
Plan of Salvation and prayerfully consider what God is asking you to do.
A – admit our sins
B – believe His Son Jesus is our Redeemer
C – confess God as Sovereign Lord
D – demonstrate that commitment by making any changes needed in our lives to
live the way in which God has called us
The Disciple’s Job Description
Glossary
God is bigger than anything we are experiencing. When we thank Him for our blessings, we focus on the good rather than the bad. We have to continuously make the conscious decision to focus on God. Focusing on God will keep us out of the pit of despair and instill in us joy, no matter the circumstances.
Loving Father. So many times, we take our eyes off of You. We focus on this world and its problems and failures. Help us to look to You to see how current circumstances are growing us in Your image. Give us Your strength to withstand any temptation to take our focus off You and what You would have us do. Prepare us for our life in Your kingdom. Amen.
What do you think?
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