New Year, Same God: Be Joyful
“Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.”
It can be so easy to lose joy in the midst of challenging circumstances. For some it’s easier to be joyful no matter what. We see it on their face, it’s in their countenance, and it’s in their spirits. And for others, when life or a situation gets the best of them they’re mean, grumpy, and moody.
Several years ago, at the beginning of a new year, I remember praying and asking God, “please let this be a lay-out-on-the-beach kind of year, where I’m just sitting back drinking something tropical out of a pineapple with a straw kind of year.” Well, I’ve yet to have a beach laying out, drinking out of a pineapple kind of year yet. Sigh. Sigh again. Haha!
Life doesn’t work like that. Sigh. We will have trials, challenges, and tribulations. Jesus told us, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world,” (John 13:33). In this life the ups and down are there to sanctify us and transform us into being more like Jesus.
And this means that we won’t always be happy. Happiness is a feeling that comes from something happening. And while we won’t always be happy, we can always have joy. Joy isn’t determinate on a situation around us. Joy is a constant and it’s a decision that no matter what comes- whatever we may lose, whoever may die, whatever accident may come, whatever heartbreak or disappointment we may encounter, we will always have joy.
When we position ourselves and decide that NOTHING can steal our joy then this shows a kind of maturity. It means that we don’t have lose our cool in public, sit and always look back to the past, it means that when we’re rejected we know we are chosen by God and being directed to what’s for us, and it means we don’t have to stay in sadness when something is lost.
I think God is also looking at us, looking to see how we handle situations and if we’re going to let them steal our joy. The devil will try and steal our joy through situations, but sometimes we’ll have to fight for it, and this means going into worship, getting before God’s presence and thanking HIM for what we do have. It’s then that our God of hope will fill us with joy and peace because we believe, so that the power of Holy Spirit we will abound in hope (Romans 15:13).
Joy is a decision that starts with us and when we strive to maintain it and fight for it, God will fill us with more joy and His peace.