“Always be joyful.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16 NLT
After having a busy week full of mistakes, disappointments, successes, and delays, I sat down on a Friday morning for my quiet time and didn’t like any of the songs I saw on my Spotify playlist.
One song repeatedly came to mind, so I searched for “God Will Work It Out” by Maverick City Music, and it was just what I needed.
Afterwards, I opened my Bible app, and the verse I saw was the anchor scripture. I laughed, and I couldn’t stop shaking my head.
There are no coincidences in the spirit. Our God has a sense of humour and likes having us come to Him, so He reminds us that He’s there.
Staying joyful isn’t dependent on the external circumstances around us. If we look at the storm, we’ll never see a reason to have joy. It’s our gratitude and trust in God that fuel our joy. It’s an internal game.
God was trying to tell me that it doesn’t matter how the week has been; I can end it knowing that He sees all and is working out events for my good. That’s all I need to stay joyful.
How can we constantly be joyful as we work every day?
The anchor scripture isn’t complete without the next two verses.
1 Thessalonians 5:17–18 NLT
[17] Never stop praying. [18] Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.
The key to staying joyful is to pray and intentionally show gratitude. I can say that I hadn’t set time aside to tell God how grateful I was for my experiences that week. I went through the motions and kept drowning in anxiety.
Although I had time for devotion on other days of the week, none hit me at my core like that Friday.
When we patiently pray without rushing through it to get to work and we make our default response, “Thank You, Lord,” for every experience we have at work, whether good or bad, the joy springs forth.
I’ve had this experience many times to know that I let the activities of the week get the best of me. And if we forget to do these things, God is merciful to remind us, as He did for me, ensuring I didn’t end the week the same way.
Staying joyful gives us a unique perspective on our experiences of the day, allowing us to “count it all joy” even when others are complaining, anxious, or sad. Joy is contagious, and it’s a form of healing that we should spread to those around us.
“I work with joy, from joy, and in joy.”
When you’re submerged in a pool of water, there’s nothing around you but water. The water gets into your clothes, ears, nose, and mouth if you open any of them.
This is how we should be filled with joy today and every day. The circumstances may not change at once, but we’ll work differently. Nothing will steal your joy today.
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