Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!
Philippians 4:4
Just as being busy is a choice, so is joy a choice.
It is choosing to respond to your external circumstances with a supernatural inner contentment because you know God is at work despite what you might see.
Joy differs from happiness. Happiness is on the outside, while joy is on the inside.
Happiness is a state of mind, but true joy emanates from your spirit. This strength is found by focusing on the Lord, knowing He is always with you and dwells within.
You cannot control what other people say unto you or what people do around you, but you can control how you respond.
You must not let the external things you can’t control, control you.
In the middle of a broken world, you have a choice.
Changing your circumstances will not necessarily increase your joy, but focusing on God's goodness will cause joy to flow up like a well from within your inner being.
Notice that Paul did not say to rejoice when everything is going your way but rather to rejoice always, in the good and bad times.
The only way you can do this is to deliberately take the time to think about what God says by meditating on His words. Then, deep down in your spirit, you will sense that God the Father is in control, and the fruit of joy will begin to bubble up within you.
This joy from the Holy Spirit is independent of your immediate circumstances.
Today, remember that since the Holy Spirit is not shaken by the ups and downs of life, neither will you be since you are focusing on the work of the Holy Spirit inside of you.
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