Choosing Joy in this Journey

Last Fall I was asked to speak to women in our congregation about my journey towards a life of joy. I had no idea then how diving deeply into the Scriptural commands to be joyful would be so nourishing to my spirit mere months later.  

At the time, my greatest thief of joy was the way my teenaged triplets were slipping away as they asserted their adolescent independence and how I mourned the loss of quality time with them. (Oh, how this makes me giggle now after two straight weeks of uninterrupted quality time due to a worldwide pandemic!)

This afternoon I pulled out the notes from my November talk and was reminded of a few specific truths that bear repeating. Life as we know it has drastically changed, but God’s Word stands as a timeless and firm anchor for our souls.

Many of us have spent years sitting under solid teaching, meeting in small group studies, and doing our own personal study of Scripture. This season is our opportunity, as Paul exhorts in Philippians 4:9, to put into practice what you learned, heard, saw and realized. “And the God of peace will be with you.” Philippians 4:10 (NIV)

I Peter 1:8-9 describes being “filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy” as a result of faith and trust that is not based on circumstances. Our joy must flow from the Spirit that we KNOW not the news we hear, the future we fear, or the scarcity we feel. This world is not our home, our citizenship is in Heaven (Philippians 320). We are being given the unique opportunity to hold out the Word of Life to our family, friends and a watching world as we walk through these days with hope and faith anchored not in the temporary, but the eternal.

Rick Warren has defined joy as “the settled assurance that God is in control of all the details of my life, the quiet confidence that ultimately everything is going to be alright, and the determined choice to praise God in every situation.” (emphasis mine)

So, let’s go forth in peace, joy, and confidence that can only be explained by Christ. Cling to the truth and look for the gifts.  

“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction and constant in prayer.” Romans 12:12

(I wrote this for a church publication, but am crossposting here for posterity.)