One of my favorite verses is “The Joy of the Lord is my strength” in Nehemiah 8:10. This verse has gotten so much use as I’ve gone through the different storms of my life. It's definitely not been easy but repeating that verse and reminding myself that it's not by my might or strength, but by His our King, King Jesus. That's what has given me strength. Life is always going to be a struggle of some kind. We will have periods of rest, of peace, and calmness. However, it will not stay that way.
So, one of the things I’ve been working on with God over the years is getting good at going through the storm with Joy. So many people think joy is an emotion, and it's not. Being happy is an emotion. That’s a feeling that can get confused with joy. But joy is a state of being, it's a choice we make when we go through the ups and downs of life. You choose to have joy and to say joyful things even when things aren't going your way. When life is hard, choose to find the good and the blessings in that day or event. It's about what I can be thankful for. What can I look for that is from God? And I believe that James 1: 1-4 really hits home on how it is teaching us to get better at going through the trials. Knowing that we can do it better because this verse teaches us how to persevere and become mature and complete. It says, “lacking nothing”.
I really believe you should allow God to teach you about joy and to have self control in the areas of life that get hard. Stop looking through your lens of self pity or negativity. Allow God to show you how to become someone who looks for the good, the positive and don’t be self-seeking. That in itself teaches us how to have joy. Because you are no longer focusing on yourself, but on the brighter side. You start seeing others and not just yourself.
So, I encourage you when going through the trials of life to start finding those joy verses. Change your habits from self seeking to looking for blessings. What is good right now? That will change you into someone that learns how to have joy among the sorrow.
Blessings
Pastor Rae Lynn Stands