LINK TO PODCAST: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/encouragement-from-women/id1636342373?i=1000715268733
“Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.”
Growing up, my Grandma did an excellent job of exuding joy. Her love for Jesus showed up on her face. She showed me what it meant to have the joy of the Lord, no matter the circumstances. I was saved at her house when I was young, and that set me on a path to follow Christ and experience true joy.
However, it didn’t take long for me to see just how hard this path could be. When I was 11, I watched my Grandpa take his last breath. Within the next couple of years, I would lose my 23-year-old brother in a motorcycle accident and my 17-year-old cousin in a car accident. Facing death at such a young age shook me deeply. I learned faster than most kids just how short life is and how we have no promises for tomorrow. These losses broke my heart, and they changed my perspective, but they did not take away my joy. I knew then, even as a little kid, that I wanted to use every precious day God gives me to serve Him. I’ve failed this mission greatly, but it’s definitely my aim.
Years after these losses, I agreed to write a chapter on “Joy” for the new EFW Bible study and was studying Galatians and the fruit of the Spirit. During this time, I faced a different kind of tough season. My family and I were transitioning out of a church where we’d served for 10 years. The unknown was scary, and my kids were feeling the weight of the change. We all were. But in the middle of it all, God reminded me, yet again, that joy isn’t about my circumstances. It’s a choice I make every day – will I walk in the Spirit and abide in His love? Or will I walk in the flesh?
Joy is a fruit of the Spirit, and the Spirit never leaves me – so joy never leaves me. But whether or not I choose to display and exhibit joy is a choice I make all day, every day.
Not surprisingly, God got us through this difficult transition and has blessed us greatly. This was just another life lesson reminding me that true joy is rooted in Jesus. Jesus – Only – You.
So today, whether on a mountaintop or a valley, true Christians can always choose joy. Because true Christians always have the Holy Spirit inside of them.
Reflection:
Where is God calling me to choose joy today? How can I depend more on the Spirit to cultivate joy in my heart, no matter what I’m facing?
Today’s devotional is a summary of Jen McGee’s recent interview on the Encouragement From Women Podcast. To listen to the full episode click the link in the comments.
Just a Mom’s View 