No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. ~1 Corinthians 10:13 (NIV)
We can’t expect others to keep us happy. It’s a temptation to fall into that mindset and it is too much of a burden for our loved ones to carry when we expect them to be responsible for our joy. If we don’t want to be happy, there is not much anybody is able to do for us and eventually they will quit trying. God tells us all in Nehemiah 8:10 “Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength." (NIV) The word “grieve” means to feel pain of mind or heart; to mourn. Do you grieve when things don’t go your way? Do you mourn the loss when you become disappointed? The Lord tells us that there is a time for everything under the sun. In Ecclesiastes 3:4 He says, “a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance.” Unfortunately, some of us get stuck in the “time to mourn”. That is caused by the lies of the enemy. He spends his days and nights working overtime to remind us of all the reasons we have to be miserable. He reminds us of our past negative experiences and then he holds us there with our focus laser beamed on the negative until we aren’t able to even remember any of the good things that have happened, much less be able to expect anything good to come. The temptation to live this way day in and day out will steal our joy and render us useless because our strength comes from the joy of the Lord. That kind of joy that supersedes our feelings and our circumstances. We do not have to fall into it though. We can resist it and overcome it if we choose. But we have to choose to do something with those nagging, negative thoughts.
We all get disappointed: in life…with each other…in our circumstances. The unexpected will always come but that doesn’t mean we have to spend our life waiting for the next shoe to drop. A much more positive approach would be to trust that God will never allow more to come on us than we can bear. Sure, there are going to be times that we think God must believe we can handle more than we think we can, but the truth is, we make it through, and we make it through shining when we believe that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. We have been given the responsibility to renew our minds. We were saved and set on the starting line of life’s great race, but it is our obligation to train and then run for the prize. The victorious life is not guaranteed with our salvation, it is the reward for those who overcome evil with good. So go in the strength God gives you. One step at a time is all He asks. Learn to listen and obey and be wise to good and evil. Come up to the Lord’s way of approaching life and you can face anything with joy in your heart!
For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him. ~2 Chronicles 16:9a (NIV)
What do you have to praise the Lord for today? Can you be joyful despite your circumstances knowing God has your back?
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