Today's devotional from Journey, published by LifeWay:The Joy Rebellion
Do everything without grumbling and arguing, so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God. (Philippians 2:14-15)
Be joyful when life is good, and be joyful when life is far from good. Be joyful when life is going just like you want it to, and be joyful when life seems to be hitting you head on.
Grumbling. Doing what you want to do without seeking God first. Losing heart when life gets a little tough. According to 1 Thessalonians, these are things we do when we rebel against God's will. God wants our honesty, but the problem comes not when we're unhappy with how life is going, but when we dwell on that and refuse to believe that God is bigger than what's happening around us.
Joy is much deeper than happiness. Happiness is based on whether or not things go well in life. Happiness and joy come easily during the good times.
Many of us would rather give up than stick it out when life gets hard. When we choose to find our own way out of a situation instead of trusting God for the path, the peace, or the promise, we rebel against His will.
Being a follower of Jesus isn't about always being happy or getting your way; it's about seeking God's way. It's about trusting Him and taking Him at His Word to know that what you're going through and what's happening around you is a very small part of a much bigger story and plan.
Remember, death is not the end. Loneliness and disappointment are temporary. No matter what, God is working.
Being joyful can be difficult, but it is God's will for our lives, even though our hearts naturally rebel against it. In order to thwart our heart's rebellion against joy, we must choose to be joyful. That means not taking that verbal jab at someone who has disappointed you. That means not marinating in the heartbreak long after the trauma of the event. It means believing that "what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal" 2 Corinthians 5:18.
If you didn't come here from Spiritual Sundays, go here! You will be so blessed, and you can link up your own post, too. Thank you so much, Charlotte and Ginger for hosting Spiritual Sundays and to all the others who link up such great heartfelt, encouraging posts!
I pray God's blessings on all of you!
I pray God's blessings on all of you!
One of my New Year's Resolutions is to reclaim joy in my life (hubby's cancer had kind of robbed that from me). So your post really spoke to me. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteAmen Sandy....life isn't always easy but the ONLY way we can make it through is with our LORD...thank goodness this earth is only our temporary home! Eternity awaits :) I love being an Alien knowing my HOME will be more than I could ever imagine it to be!
ReplyDeleteThank you Sandy. I ALWAYS need this before me. There is nothing to complain about as God has it all under control in death, sickness, life.
ReplyDeleteA very uplifting post this morning. I hope you have a wonderful weekend.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing this, Sandy. Several of us have posted along this same theme this weekend. It is all about seeking God's way! Have a wonderful Sunday.
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Sandi
Hi Sandy,
ReplyDeleteYour blog is so beautiful and welcoming.
But you just had to go stepping on our toes with that first scripture, didn't you?? Just Kidding. I always need to be reminded of that verse--I want so much to glorify God in the good and the bad of my life.
Thanks for sharing this devotional. It was a really good one.
Love,
Dianne
Just the other day I learned that a friend has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Odd, but my 1st thought came out, "but... she seems so happy??!!" Surely, the presence of the Lord is in this place!
ReplyDeleteAmen to this. Thank you for the reminder. It is easy to fall into the habit of not being joyful when things are not going well.
ReplyDeleteBlessings and joy to you.
Charlotte
For some reason I am having a problem signing with my wordpress name. That's where my S.S. post is, but I'll try using my blogger ID.
Thank you for this post on joy ~ So very good! The world can make life hard...but God is always good and our joy comes from knowing that. Thank you for the reminder...
ReplyDeletewww.myautumnyears.blogspot.com
thanks for this reminder. Have a great weekend.
ReplyDeleteThis really meant so much to me. I choose to be joyful in all things. It is the reward for getting through a hard time even though it seems way too hard. Having Joy in your life eases all things that are a challenge. These words are so true.
ReplyDeleteBlessings, Jeane
What a wonderful post. It is very touching.
ReplyDeleteYoli :)