In the chaos of the world, you must choose to spark your joy. No one will do it for you. But, with the help of the Holy Spirit, you will discover the live-giving satisfaction of a life with God. Read below for three ways to focus on lighting the joy of your soul.
“You make known to me the path of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence,
with eternal pleasures at your right hand.” (Psalm 16:11)
1. Remain soft
If we are not intentional, we can easily allow our hearts to harden against life’s pressures and our inconveniences. Even in pain or tragedy that we experience, we can position ourselves to remain soft in God’s loving presence.
2. Remember who God is
Your life may feel like a mess. Everything you though was wrong could be going wrong, but guess what? God is steadfast! His goodness has not faltered, His love, knowledge, and kindness still persist. When we remember who our Father is, truly taking a moment to acknowledge Him, our hearts leap at His sight. We begin to let go of our stressors and remember who is seated on the throne.
3. Raise your gratitude
You were made for joy. The joy of the Lord is our strength, yet we face trials and hardships. How do we make these make any sense? James instructs us to consider it pure joy.
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,[a] whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” (James 1:2-4)
As you follow Jesus, His joy will become your own.
