Fight For Your Joy - Beloved Women - August 5, 2020

Fight For Your Joy – Beloved Women – August 5, 2020

READ: “What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice. Yes, and I will rejoice.” (Philippians 1:18 ESV)

TODAY’S ENCOURAGEMENT: I love that Paul tells himself what he will do in Philippians 1:8. I love that he's able to see past this difficulty “in every way” to see the greater work that God was doing. This ability truly leads to joy. If we choose to only see the bad, that's how we'll feel. Joy is a choice. It may be a fight to choose joy, but joy, not being conditional or circumstantial, is a choice.

Listen to me, your joy is worth fighting for. Don’t be so quick to give this precious gift away. I had a Great Aunt that used to always say “Don’t let no one take your thunder.” What she meant was, we all have a joy for life, a light within us that no one can take. If we lose it, it’s because we’ve chosen to let it go. Someone may say one offensive thing to us, as we’ll allow it to mess up our entire week. Now I’m not saying there won’t or shouldn’t be times where we find ourselves sad, down, or even depressed. I’m saying joy is the gift that God grants us to see his provision, faithfulness, and goodness even when it’s dark. However, we’ll miss Him and His joy if we’re distracted with only our circumstances.

PRAY: Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that the joy You give cannot be taken away. I pray for the strength and wisdom to choose joy even when it’s challenging. In Jesus Christ’s Name, I pray, Amen.

REFLECT: How do you maintain the joy of the Lord when life gets challenging?

CONNECT: Find more encouragement from Christina Patterson here.  Sign up for free weekly video Bible Studies from Christina here.

NEED MORE BELOVED: If you like the Beloved Women Daily Devotional you will love the Beloved Women’s Online Conference. This a one-day event is filled with speakers, worship, workshops and more to refresh, refuel, and empower women like us to find rest for our souls, peace for our minds, and hope for the journey. Our mission is to replenish the women who do so much for their families and communities so they can continue to build better futures for themselves and those they love and serve. If you’re ready to energize your relationship with God learn more and register today at https://www.belovedconference.org.  

© 2020 by Christina Patterson. All rights reserved.

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