For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made. (Psalm 139:13-14, NIV)
Are you joyful today? Are you celebrating the person God made you to be?
If you answered, “not so much,” we need to work on changing that answer to an absolute “yes!”
To enjoy life and not become discouraged, you need that supernatural joy to keep going. Especially on the day you get a bad health diagnosis. Or when you’ve been working hard at your job and yet are overlooked for a promotion, again. Or when a loved one says something hurtful in the heat of an argument.
On those days, you can’t look at the circumstances and be happy, but you can still be joyful knowing these three truths:
1) You are a masterpiece! When God formed you, He was pleased, and He still is.
2) God’s love for you isn’t based on performance. God is a God of grace, and He loves you—no matter what!
3) You are a child of the Most High God. You don’t have to earn His approval; you’re already approved!
Meditate on those truths for a moment or two and feel the joy rise up. See yourself as God sees you. I realize that this is easier said than done, but here’s what I’ve discovered.
If I am “me” focused, I have a very hard time keeping a joyful heart. Because when I am only focused on myself, I dwell on all of my flaws (both spiritually and physically) and I have a hard time seeing myself through God’s eyes.
But, when my heart is toward God, and I’m focused on Him, my joy returns even if my circumstances remain the same. Because when my heart is toward God, I see everything from His perspective, and the problems I’m facing (which seemed so huge) all of a sudden seem quite small and easy to overcome.
That shift in perspective makes all the difference in my joy level, and guess what? It will make a difference in your joy level, too.
Bottom line, if you keep your heart toward God, that’s half the battle. Realize that God is the Potter; you are the clay; and you are in His hands. Let Him mold and shape you today, realizing that your lump of clay is pretty amazing throughout the entire process.
You may not be perfect, but you are perfectly loved by Almighty God! And, that’s something to be joyful about!
