Reason #110

Sometimes I just don’t feel it. I wake up and I feel like I would rather stay in bed. I wish I could have a Cinderella type morning, complete with sunlight and chirping birds, but that’s rarely the case. Some days, I wish I could have a Cinderella outlook. A girl with less than desirable circumstances who, despite her troubles, always sings cheerful songs and looks good wearing rags. A girl who is so likeable that even the woodland creatures gladly help her with her chores. A girl who cries in the privacy of her room only to be comforted by a magical fairy who gives her a stunning makeover complete with an awesome set of shoes and then sends her off to win the heart of prince charming and live happily ever after. Maybe, some days, I’d just like to be post-glass slipper Cinderella.

But as I got ready this morning I picked out my own dress and shoes, no ball gown or glass slippers. I listened to the radio rather than singing cheerful songs with birds, and I was not able to give myself a stunning makeover by any means. And I didn’t feel it. I didn’t feel cheerful, I didn’t feel like twirling in circles around my room or skipping off to work. I really didn’t feel much of anything. It’s May. It’s a new month, and I so desperately want it to be a good month. A month filled with fun, sweet memories. A memorable May.

So I stood in the shower and as the hot water soaked my hair, I kept remembering the words from 1 Thessalonians 5:16, “Always be joyful.” Always? Not sometimes or occasionally or when you feel like it. Always. So I repeated the words to myself. Always be joyful. Always be joyful. But how? How can I always be joyful? How can I be joyful when I don’t feel like it? And the rest of Paul’s words came to mind. “Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18) The truth is, I have a hard time finding joy some days. I don’t particularly like my circumstances. I want things to be different. I want to feel different. But I want God’s will to be done, so He reminded me of His will this morning. Be joyful. Always. And maybe Paul knew that the only way we could be always joyful was if we never stopped praying. Don’t cut that life line. If we keep our prayers going, the joy won’t stop flowing.

And so this is God’s will. Be joyful. I pray and pray that God’s will is done in my life. Day in, day out, each decision, I want it to be His will. I’ve spent many years doing Brittnye’s will and I’ve come to realize that God’s will is much better. It’s also more pleasant to do His will because eventually, His will prevails. But who said it’s easy to do God’s will? Who said God’s will is always fun? Who said God’s will isn’t a little difficult at times? Even His son said we’d have to die to ourselves to do His will. No one likes death. The dying process is painful. And Jesus, even as he faced death, prayed God’s will. “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” (Matthew 26:39) And ironically enough, Jesus’s own brother James said, “when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.” (James 1:2) Even in suffering, we can find joy. Not an easy thing to do. I don’t think Jesus was looking forward to what was to come. I don’t think he probably felt like suffering a painful death for a bunch of sinners. But it was God’s will. And if God’s will is to be joyful always, and we can be joyful in suffering, then that means we don’t really have a good reason to be disobedient. Maybe, during that suffering, we need to consider having joy. Maybe James knew that joy could ease the pain. As we can see, sometimes it’s God’s will that we have to face a little suffering. And if Jesus can follow God’s will to the cross, surely I can follow God’s will by always being joyful, suffering or not. After all, because of that dying to self, doing his father’s will, I have the ultimate reason to always be joyful. Joyful because of his suffering.

So I pray for God’s will to be done. “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.” (1 John 5:14-15) His will is that I’d always be joyful, so I ask for joy today. For open eyes to see the blessings He lavishes on me day in and day out so that I will always be joyful. And maybe I have to keep on asking and keep on praying, but if the prayers keep going, the joy won’t stop flowing.

I may never have a ball gown or glass slippers, and I highly doubt I’ll steal the affections of a prince or live in a castle. But that’s okay, because I have the love of the King. A King who is “the source of all my joy.” (Psalm 43:4)

#110- Because He is my joy!

"I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all the marvelous things you have done. I will be filled with joy because of you. I will sing praises to your name, O Most High." - Psalm 9:1-2