Choosing joy has been a hard one for me these last couple of years. Life has been just plain hard. And God is still Oh so Good. Even when I look at those years I see God's hand in all of the hardship and difficult decisions we had to make. In those times choosing joy was the very last thing I thought of. However, as a child of the Most High God, I could not stray from his joy because I can't live on my emotions I have to live by my faith. My bible tells me in Psalm 34:19 The righteous person may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers them from them All. I can't stay in the what-ifs or all the whys. That will lead me to a black hole of depression. That is why I have to choose joy in spite of my situation. That takes all of the "everything's" off of me! Choosing joy has not been easy but it sure is worth it.
So, You say Toni, when do you choose joy? Well, I am so glad you asked here are just a few...
When I fell and broke my ankle just by walking in the snow- I choose joy
When my mom makes choices that are not good for her - I choose joy
When people judge me and my children just because our skin color is different than there's - I choose joy
When I am told the things that happen to me was maybe in my imagination - I had to really choose joy
When my children and I are the only black people in a store and are followed just because you guessed it we are black - I choose joy
When BLM takes over the narrative that the church should've taken over when all the racial issues were going on - I choose joy
When I am overwhelmed with everything - I choose joy
When I am misunderstood and others think ill of me without even knowing me - I choose joy.
Choosing joy does not mean faking a smile or pretending, for true joy can exist even in our struggles. When we partner with God and shift our focuses to trust and believe what He says, joy will become the outcome.
So, here are the scriptures I run to when I need to choose joy...
- Ps.126:5-6
" Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy. Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them.”
- Zephaniah 3:17
“The LORD your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love, he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.”
“I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.”
We can choose joy by finding our fullness in Christ, not our circumstances.
Remember, as sure as you live you will have reasons not to choose joy. But in every situation, GOD HAS THE PRESCRIPTION! Don't go without the medicine of His Word and in it, you will Choose joy.