The Fruit of Joy!

I've found that life is an awesome gift, yes, but it can also be full of challenges and many times, unexpected twists and turns. I think we all have good days and, well, perhaps not-so-good days. At least this is true for me.

Its easy to be happy when things are going well in our lives. And there's just something about being around a cheerful, happy person that tends to lift our spirits and maybe even change our attitudes a bit. But when things are not going so great, when we're having some serious struggles in our life, I think the hardest thing to do is to keep from being down in the dumps and getting blue.

I've learned that God's Word talks alot about joy. That's because it really is God's desire that His children "walk in joy", even in the midst of stress and turmoil.For me, its a hard thing to do sometimes.

Honestly, the only thing that really helps bring me back up from the pit of despair and depression, is getting back in God's Word, believing what He said about our joy being found in Him, and making the decision to NOT let my circumstances get the best of my and determine what my attitude will be like today.

Joy is a fruit of the Spirit. That means that when we accepted Christ as our Savior, the seed of joy was actually implanted into our hearts. Now its up to us to water, feed and nurture that seed. Its not going to simply grow and mature on its own. It takes prayer, faith, and time in God's Word and presence to replace all our old, negative thinking with new, joyful thoughts.

It takes practice, especially for those of us who are used to just rolling around in our self-pity and thoughts of fear or dread.But in time, you can learn to recognize when your heart and mind are full of sadness and negative thoughts or attitudes, and with God's help and alot of determination, you can learn to walk in joy. I'm still learning.

esther