Like Paul, Choose JOY!

            Have you had your JOY JUICE today?  Drinking in the JOY of the Lord can do nothing but GOOD!

             To be joyful doesn’t mean that we stick our head in the sand and pretend everything is rosy!  Being joyful has nothing to do with the power of positive thinking…though that really comes in handy sometimes! To be truly, genuinely joyful, we must walk hand-in-hand with Jesus, daily, seeking His will and direction in every area of our lives.  A wonderful example of this is Paul.

            Paul obviously had troubles and challenges.  You know he experienced sorrow and discouragement as he was imprisoned and faced many other kinds of trials.  In Philippians he shared his secret to being joyful: it was his relationship with Christ. To the Christians at Philippi…and to us…he says, “Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.” Philippians 1:27

            When conflict arises, let’s follow Paul’s example and refuse to wallow in self-pity, steam with anger or engage in a heated debate.  Instead, may we choose to see the big picture and glorify God in our actions. We are to “conduct ourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.” “Regardless of how Paul felt personally, he chose to maintain an attitude of contentment, gratitude and joy.” (Charles Stanley in Walking Wisely)  That is not always easy, is it?  Pretty much impossible without God!

            We are limited in our ability to handle conflict. But with God, all things are possible…and that includes choosing to remain joyful regardless of the circumstances!