I have always wanted the opportunity to be involved in a ladies Bible Study, but up to now it was never possible. The new church we are going to has one on Tuesday afternoons. I didn't think I was going to be able to go due to being a 1 vehicle family. BUT!!!! God worked wonderfully in our lives recently and we were able to get another van and to top it off we were able to pay cash and stay debt free. It is SO exciting that even through the struggles he has blessed SO mightily.
Ok, I said all that to get to the main point. We are going through a book for Bible Study. We are using "The Choice is Yours; Life Happens. Walking with God is a decision" by Terrie Chappell. I have read another book she wrote and loved it so I was excited to get into this and I have not been disappointed. I came in half way, but am catching up to the others. Today we covered "choose to be joyful". As I studied this chapter this week, it has been a true challenge. Through life's struggles it is not always easy to be joyful. The main theme she kept bringing out was that if we base happiness on circumstances it is not REAL joy. Our real joy comes only through the Lord. Some quotes "Most of us will agree that when things are going "our way" we feel a lot happier, and we are much easier to live with. But our happiness quickly fades when things go wrong. If our joy depends upon circumstances, and if we can do little or nothing to control those circumstances, we will be miserable most of the time! We must learn to capture this thief by choosing joy." How true this is and how I have seen this SO real in my life recently. I have to constantly be on guard that I am not looking around me but UP for fulfillment and joy. Another quote: "You see, happiness is based on what happens to you, and it depends on external circumstances that are often beyond your control. Joy, on the other hand, is based on what is in your heart, and Jesus promised us that our joy can remain constant regardless of surrounding circumstances." By keeping our focus on God and not on circumstances we are obeying him she used a quote by D.L. Moody "The Lord gives his people perpetual joy when they walk in obedience to him." WOW!!!!! Trials, struggles, and disappointments are going to come that is life, but it is how we handle it that we are held accountable. I would love to say that through the recent struggles I have always been joyful, but that would be a lie. It is some times a daily or hourly struggle to keep "Christ-centered". I have been in church my whole life and have witnessed many Christians, Pastors, Pastor's wives, and people in full-time ministry go through struggles. It would be great if I could say that all or even most have let God work through the struggles to bring joy, but sadly that is not true. There are examples in my life of Pastor's wives that have been hurt in ministry. Some have come through praising God and growing from it and ministering to others through it. Then there are others that have allowed the hurts to make them bitter. I mentioned in my last post that sometimes I feel like I have the "right" to be bitter and angry but I do NOT! I am in no way saying I have learned this lesson, but I am praying that the Lord will make me better through the hurts and struggles. A portion that really covers this: "We so often allow troublesome circumstances to keep us from advancing in our Christian life, especially in spreading the Gospel. But sometimes God arranges circumstances to allow us to pioneer new areas of ministry."
I truly want to some day be able to help others, right now I am still healing and growing (and yes there are growing pains). I am thankful for the ones who have encouraged me by sharing how their hurts in life have made them stronger- Better not Bitter.
So we have a daily choice - Are you going to choose to be joyful?
Remember it can not be done in our own strength we must do it through Christ.
