Do you ever find yourself having a crummy day? Or maybe the whole year hasn’t been that good (throwback to 2020). Some days can be harder to choose joy than others, but here is a short guide to help you through your journey.
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Read your Bible
The best way to choose joy is to get outside of yourself and read your Bible. This will get your focus off of yourself and your situation and onto the One who formed you in your mother’s womb (Psalm 139), loved you while you were still a sinner (Romans 5:8), and chose you before the creation of the world (Ephesians 1:4)!
So often when we are having a crummy day, we want to wallow in our sadness. Whether we consciously think it or not, we are happy to stay in our own little pity party. BUT, if we are serious about walking with God, we will eventually realize that we need to be in communion with God. And the best way to do this is to read the Story of God.
It is amazing how quickly we can go from a pity party and feeling like nothing is going right, to choosing joy in the midst of sticky situations. Our whole perspective can change when we sit down and choose to read the Bible – going straight to the source of joy.
Change your mindset to choose joy
One of the hardest mindset changes is embracing joy when life sucks. As Christians, our identity – and therefore our emotions – are based on God and who God says we are. Because we are more concerned with a heavenly kingdom than an earthly one, we don’t need to get caught up in earthly troubles.
James 1:2-6 talks about considering it pure joy whenever you face troubles of many kinds, saying that it is through trials that faith increases. Even though we would rather not choose to face some of life’s difficulties, we know that they will come and we can choose joy in the midst of them. We can even choose to praise God during difficult circumstances.
So what do we do when the difficult times come? Jesus promises that “in this world you will have trouble” (John 16:33), but he also promises that He has overcome the world. So when you are in the middle of a situation that you did not ask for, remember that God has already overcome this world and God is fighting for you (Exodus 14:14).
When Anxiety Comes
How does the knowledge that God is fighting for you help you to overcome the fear and anxiety that comes with difficult situations? God desires to have a relationship with us, that is why He chose us in Him before the creation of the world. He Promises that if we draw near to Him, He will draw near to us (James 4:8).
So when the fear and anxiety come, remember that God is right there beside you. He desires what’s best for you. Hold on to the promise that God will never leave you or forsake you (Hebrews 13:5). Pray to your Creator and let Him know what’s going on in your life. He cares for you. He will give you peace.
