Choosing joy: the fight to tell your mind who’s boss

What does it mean to choose joy? Glad you asked! I had to learn this lesson in a deeper way this past month in Thailand. I found myself in a negative head space for a couple weeks and I had to rely on the Lord and my teammates to pull me out of it. Humbling, right?

You see, I tend to easily gravitate toward the negative, pessimistic perspective when I’m living out of the flesh, which unfortunately, I’ve discovered, is quite often. But, this time, I let it get too far to where I was just in this negative funk and my team was being affected. My squad leader even called me out on it. So, I knew it was a problem but you know how sometimes you just wanna sit in your own pity party? Well, that was me. I just wanted to dwell in it and wasn’t ready to trade my blackout glasses for rose-colored glasses just yet. Well, eventually, of course, I came out of it. But I know this won’t be the last time I sink into the pit of negativity. So, I’m writing this blog to help anyone (including myself in the future) who is currently knee-deep in the murky waters to rise up and actually walk on the waters into the sea of joy. Haha, took that analogy too far, but I couldn’t help myself 🙂

So, how do you pull yourself out of the pit of negativity???

Well, here are some things I learned on my own and with the help of my squadmates and of course my good good Father. Not really in any particular order…

1. Surround yourself with brothers and sisters in Christ who love you a lot, enough to point out when you’re off track and are not being the you He created you to be. Those friends who love you enough to say the hard things that might “damage” the relationship but also just might save your life (spiritual life, that is). And when you find these friends: don’t let them go. These are the keepers. Love them HARD. And LISTEN to said friends when they call you out because you will want to defend yourself but STOP and go think on it. They know you and they just might be right.

2. You have to FIGHT with all that’s in you to still do quiet time with the Lord daily. I don’t care if the last thing you want to do is read scripture or pray to Abba Father because maybe you don’t see Him as a good good Father right now. THIS is when it’s DIRE, spiritually necessary, that you dig into the Word and talk to Him. Even if it’s YELLING at Him. That’s okay. He can take it. But when you feel like He’s silent or doesn’t see you, you must remind yourself of His never-changing character. Because, the only one that’s changed here is you. His faithfulness and steadfast love for you are just as present as they were before; you just can’t see it now.

3. SIT in His presence and ask Him the HARD questions. And then WAIT for Him to respond. And HUMBLE yourself and listen and take to heart what He says. Then APPLY IT. Ask for His help to have the strength to get up out of your pit and change your attitude and actions. The rest will follow, I promise.

4. CHOOSE joy. It’s a choice. I kept hearing this on repeat in my head and it’s actually a ministry of my friends back in the U.S. but this time the phrase had new meaning. The Lord was highlighting the fact that really it was up to ME to choose everyday how I wanted to live my life: glass half-full or half-empty mentality. Through His death on the cross and gift of salvation, Christ has given me the capacity to have true, lasting joy. However, it’s up to me to decide to live in that mind space of “joy in all circumstances” each day. I have to buy into it, be ALL IN. 

Because, your attitude and actions really stem from your perspective. If you’re viewing everything in a negative light, then you will not experience the fullness of joy that Christ died to give you. On the other hand, if you’re living life with palms open and eyes of wonder, grateful for every little thing, seeking God out in each moment and choosing joy, then you will have joy and peace and it will spill out to those around you. When you choose joy, it’s contagious and you invite everyone you encounter into that. And what a way to live life! Actively seeking out the beauty and the Father in everything you do! Who wouldn’t want to be a part of that?! What a witness to the nations: a Christ follower who’s on fire for Him, overflowing with JOY so tangible that you can’t help but get wrapped up in it just by being in their vicinity.

 

The Enemy loves when we, as believers, are living out of a headspace of negativity. He can step back, because we, in essence, are doing his job for him.

“Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.” 1 Peter 5:8-9
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Therefore, we must put on the armor of God (Ephesians 6) and go out to battle. Fight against the temptation to wallow in your negativity. CHOOSE JOY and Choose JESUS. It’ll be worth it. A game changer for sure 🙂

‘Til next time, friends!!!

“In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”
??1 Peter? ?1:6-9? ?