Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:4-7
NOW
Calling in a Season of Joy
Seasons come and go
Leaves fall
Branches grow
Flowers bloom and flourish
Seasons that are filled with grief
Anxiety
Stress
Depression
Disappointment
Make you look for joy
Happiness
Celebration
Delight
Gratitude
You look to the left
You look to the right
You look above and beneath
You turn your home upside down like the woman searching for a lost coin
Joy, celebration, and delight is hiding
Seasons of struggle are taxing, yet when we rejoice in the Lord always,
We work our muscle of gratitude,
A muscle that atrophies as it lays dormant
Bring all things to God in prayer,
Thanksgiving and gratitude
Practices of joy that cultivate celebration
Joy calls us as we call out to it
Joy responds to gratitude and thanksgiving
Joy calls us from tribulation to triumph
Joy calls us through grief, stress, anxiety, and disappointment
The call of joy is like a small, still voice
We must become still to be in tune with it
The call of joy redirects us
God calls us to joy, the way God called out to Elijah
God call us to joy through praise
Through thanksgiving
Through prayer
Through worship
- What do you think and feel when you hear this story of the struggle to find joy?
- How is JOY different from HAPPINESS?
- In what ways does JOY often lead to a calling?
- Where do you currently find JOY, and how is it related to your callings?