Where does your joy come from? I’m learning that my joy can definitely be circumstantial at times. I know this is an ugly truth to claim, but I am coming to realize this more and more and if my honesty can benefit you then the honesty is well worth it.
So I’m in India and let me tell you, it is definitely a country that you can NOT have circumstantial joy in. We have inconsistent electricity, extreme humidity and heat paired with not being able to show shoulders or ankles, food that doesn’t like to really stay in your body (haha sorry if that’s TMI), constant noise 24/7, bugs, cows and trash everywhere! On top of the huge culture shock, I’m going through the major transition from being a Team Leader to becoming a Squad Leader. Squad Leading has a lot more responsibilities and our ministry begins to turn more towards the health of the squad, so I also have been stripped of the ministry I got comfortable with for the past three months. I now am in training with current Squad Leaders with a brand new team, my old team in a completely separate town.
Needless to say, I now have zero comforts in India. This made me realize that in tough times I found joy in what I was familiar with. Whether that was fulfilling my known role to simply having that cozy comfort of home.
Now don’t get me wrong, I typically find my joy in the Lord, but this is not a consistent act. As humans, our flesh can overpower our spirit if we are not constantly seeking the Lord. With this recent transition, I was running on fumes and not near as close to the Lord as I am used too. This is when my flesh came into play and I was seeking joy in the things of the world, including the disguised things like fulfillment in ministry work.
I had days where I was not being hands-on with any ministry, I had no feeling of home and I was not fully engulfed in the beautiful presence of my Savior. This resulted in the realization of trying to find joy in empty productivity, false comforts and attempts at keeping busy.
But the Bible reminds us to, “rejoice in the Lord; take joy in the God of our salvation. God, the Lord, is my strength…” Habakkuk 3:18-19
After a couple of days of trying to keep it together on my own, God sweetly reminded me (as always) of this. That my joy I try to muster up on my own will NEVER suffice to the joy that I receive from My God!
So as I enter this new month with new obstacles thrown my way, I choose for my joy to solely come from the Lord. No longer will I trick myself into finding joy in any of the things I fooled myself to turn too in difficult times. Praise Jesus He is the provider of all things and I don’t have to look to myself for anything!! Now, I can state without a doubt, that my joy WILL come in the morning regardless of circumstances.
“…but joy comes with the morning!” Psalm 30:5
