{Be Confident} Choosing Joy + Making it Happen

Every month, the writers of the Delight Blog joke about how we should start preparing for the next month’s theme.  Kerri, Amelia, Elizabeth, Megan, Madison, Adriana and I know that in some way or another, we will be challenged in the theme for the month in our personal lives.  It’s both interesting and exhilarating because we know that we wouldn’t struggle if there wasn’t something to struggle for.  Last month, as we were making our chuckles about struggling with being joyful, I found myself already struggling.

And that is exactly how this specific blog post came to be written.

In a world full of comparison and chaos, it is so hard to be happy all of the time.  Happiness is based on circumstances and we can’t BE happy if our circumstances aren’t always good.  It’s hard to find the positives in life when the negatives are plastered on billboards, flashing on tv screens, and filling social media to the brim.  It’s hard to to feel like we measure up, when the world constantly shows us how we don’t.

How are we supposed to believe that we’re beautiful masterpieces of God, if we’re not a size 00 ?

How are we supposed to believe that we’re chosen BY God, when it seems like everyone else is successful without Him?

How are we supposed to live a joy filled life with bad things keep crashing into us?

That’s where happiness and joy differ.

We get happiness and joy confused a lot, don’t we?  Where happiness is based on circumstance and situation, joy is based on choice.

In her book “Make It Happen”, Lara Casey say SOOOOOO many inspiring things.  One of my favorite things she writes is: “Joy chooses purpose over perfect”.

BOOM.

Drop the mic.

Wow.

Joy is a decision.  It’s a choice.  It is the overflow of believing what we do not see.  It is the product of following Christ.  It is the gift, tied up in pretty ribbon, that refreshes our spirit and energizes our action.  Joy chooses our purpose in Christ, rather than the world’s prompting for perfection.

But the main thing that joy is?  Joy is liberating.

Joy isn’t the key to the locked chains of fear and insecurity that so easily entangle us.  No, Christ is the key- but joy is the decision to turn the key.  Joy is the decision to believe that Christ really IS in control and worry, wonder, anxiety– they are not.    Joy doesn’t look to others for affirmation on how we are supposed to “measure up”… no, joy looks to one – Jesus Christ. 

But it is also a choice.

See, we won’t always have all of the right answers.  We won’t have the perfect set of circumstances.  Sometimes we won’t have the money when we need it.  Or people will hurt us in ways we never thought they would.  But in the midst of life, we have the option to choose to drown in the anxiety of it, or swim in the freedom that Christ has it covered. How much more glory do we give God when we choose joy in spite of how we feel?  If we’re saved by Christ and He has the victory, what does the rest really matter?

I’ve noticed a few things this last week:

1.  People complain about what they feel like they can’t change

2. Complaining robs us of joy

Neither of those things bring glory to God.  He wants us to be abounding in joy because joy is directly associated with KNOWING that He’s in control and choosing to believe His promises.  SO in honor of choosing joy, and Lara Casey being an incredible inspiration,  I want to challenge each of you to choose joy this week.  Need a little help doing that?  What better way to be inspired and spurred to choose joy than to have a copy of Lara Casey’s book “Making It Happen” for yourself?!

Enter the giveaway below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

The winner will be announced next Wednesday!  SO tune in next week!!

xo

AnnaFilly