What Happens When You Choose Joy

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 New Living Translation (NLT)
16 Always be joyful. 17 Never stop praying. 18 Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.
Choosing to have joy, think on the good, and live life from a place of thanksgiving, and rest from striving is a choice. We choose daily what we allow to take up residence in our spirit, heart, and mind. 1Thessalonians 5:16-18 tells us to always be joyful, pray, and be thankful in ALL circumstances regardless of what we’re up against, because that is the Father’s desire for those that belong to him. He truly desires for us to always experience the fullness of His joy through the good & bad, ups & downs. He truly desires for us to develop a praying spirit—a spirt that engages with Him in conversation regarding everything concerning our life. Joy, prayer, and thanksgiving, all three of these God has made available to us. But, He’s left the decision up to us in accepting, and choosing to daily take hold of them to aid us in remaining full of faith and strength, and to break the power of the enemy who wants you in a faithless, prayerless, and disappointed state.
When we remain joyful, thankful, and give our Daddy-God thanks despite struggle, difficulty, and challenges such as infertility, another bfn, losing a loved one, or giving birth prematurely it pleases His heart, because we’re literally demonstrating His will for our lives. Giving thanks and remaining joyful doesn’t mean that you’re thanking Him for the struggle, challenge, or loss, but rather thanking Him for being a God that’s very present, able to walk with you during those hurts and challenges, and able to make it all work out for your good even though you may not see how at the moment when you’re faced with difficulties. Clothing yourself in joy doesn’t mean that you’re happy that you’ve gotten your third bfn, been diagnosed with PCOS, that your baby has had a bad day in the NICU, or that you’ve lost that loved one. But, the joy of the Lord is the posture of your heart and mind that has confident trust and hope in God even when faced with such things above. So, choosing to walk in the joy of the Lord, pray, and have thanksgiving are all things that we need to grow in and develop. So, having a heart of thanksgiving for all that I have and all that God will do, despite what I see happening in my natural, beats walking in discontentment any day. We must choose to count and thank Him for every blessing right now, instead of keeping tally of all that isn’t going in our favor at the moment.
I don’t know about you, but for me, it’s imperative that I remain thankful for what I do have —all that He’s blessed me with, walk in joy and peace, and see things from God’s perspective. If not, then I allow myself to only dwell on what I’ve lost and don’t have, or wish I had. I stop living in, and appreciating the beauty of my present, and begin only living and striving for what I feel I’m missing, which repeatedly keeps me in a place of discontentment, disappointment, frustration, bitterness, impatience, lack of faith; I think you can see where I’m going with this.
Today, I challenge you to live from an overflowing heart of thanksgiving to God. I challenge you to get in His presence, set your primary focus on Him, His love for you, and His goodness, and not what you don’t have, or have lost. I challenge you to pray and talk with God daily about EVERYTHING. If you want joy and peace, this is the choice that you must make daily.
In what small, but very impactful ways, can you begin shifting your heart’s posture, spirit, and mind to intentionally experience the love, joy, and peace of God in your life?
A Fearless Journey,
Tiffany Finley
IN OTHER NEWS:
1. My Predestined One-Dallas Preemie Parent Support Group meets monthly every 2nd Thursday. However, due to Valentine's Day we're meeting this Thursday, February 21st at 7 PM. Email contact@mypredestinedone.org if you'd like to attend.
2. My Predestined One-Atlanta & My Predestined One-Dallas Infertility Support Groups meet monthly every 3rd Thursday. MPO Atlanta will be meeting this Thursday, February 21st at 7 PM. However, MPO Dallas is meeting Thursday, February 28th this month at 7 PM. Email contact@mypredestinedone.org if you'd like to attend either group.
3. My Predestined One also has online private groups. Get supported on your infertility or NICU journey so that you don't have to walk alone, and remain in isolation.
4. Renewed Hope Prayer & Intercession Night is coming March 2019. More details will be forthcoming. Subscribe to My Predestined One's newsletter to get updates of this event and more.
5. If you have a prayer request, please feel free to email them to me. I would love to pray and intercede for you.