Keys to JOY!

"Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs.  Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."  Ephesians 5:19-20.

When was the last time you whipped out a song to encourage a friend?  Are you making music in your heart to the Lord when you are late for work and the kids are fighting in the backseat and traffic is backed up?  In the midst of a storm in which every fiber of your being wants to cry out for mercy, are you giving thanks?  These verses are jam packed with spiritual keys to a joy-filled life if we will just take a moment to dig them up and put them into practice.  

Read them again.  

Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs.  Seriously?  So I am to sit down at Starbucks over a coffee with my girlfriends and forget venting about the unfairness of life, the annoyances of the people around me, the quirks of life....and talk psalms?  Pretty much.  The psalms are filled with thanksgiving to God.  They show the act of praising Him and magnifying Him in the midst of real everyday life.  THAT's where our focus must be.  Not remaining in the thick of the storm but overcoming it TOGETHER by focusing on His goodness. 

Sing and make music in your heart.  Singing is something we typically do when we are joyful.  When we find out the project at work that we poured ourselves into is praised and well received a song might rise up.  When a son or daughter ASKS to go to church after months of rebellion, our heart praises.  When we finally get that breakthrough we've been waiting for, our soul rejoices.  But before that?  During the long sleepless nights....seeing our children turning away from God....in the midst of trials and opposition?  Yes, SING.  No matter what our circumstances might be, God is still God.  His worth doesn't diminish.  What He did on the cross doesn't lessen.  Sing.  Make Him bigger than your problems because reality is....He is!

Always giving thanks in everything.  Not only must we magnify Him by focusing on His goodness, faithfulness and strength but give Him thanks!  The trial may not be directly from heaven but we can still thank Him for His promises.  Know the Word and understand that He has promised not to leave...to be our refuge and strength...to pull us through.  We serve a mighty God full of nothing but love and more love for us.  Give thanks for that! 

It's time to get our minds off the life issues...the annoyances...and stressors and put our focus back where our spirit longs to be - right there with Him.  We know this new gratefulness won't always come naturally.  Like anything, it takes practice and we can all agree there are plenty of opportunities to do so in our daily lives.  I challenge you today to practice the art of a joyful spirit.  Focus on Him.  Thank Him.  Sing to Him!  I have a feeling the end result will be something that we all long for - deep rooted peace and joy that leads to a full and abundant life. 

Every Spiritual Blessing is OURS!

It is normal when we focus on our "human-ness" to feel overwhelmed and defeated by life.  Sometimes it seems we are stretched further with responsibilities and different hats to wear than we can possibly fulfill.  We try to pray for strength and ask for God's help but often our prayers are not filled with faith but instead with doubt.  Where do we go from here?  How can we get back in His presence and become energized to do the things He has called us to do?  How can we walk out our daily "to-do's" in a way that honors Him and glorifies Him?  Where can we tap into that strength to make it another day? 

The cornerstone of the Christian faith is Jesus and the fact that He defeated death and sin on the cross.  He was raised up and "sits at the right hand of God".  Have you ever really sat and pondered this before?  Jesus....died and was placed in the tomb....and was raised up to heaven.  He reappeared again to His disciples and then over 500 other people.  Whoah.  That's some powerful stuff!  Think about it!  And that same God that raised Him up is the same God that you pray to and ask for help from!  The very same God that by His spoken word created the entire earth!  Your prayers are not just floating up in the air, they are caught by a divine hand in the heavenly realm that hears you and loves you and has CHOSEN YOU.  We are taught in Ephesians that we have been "pre-destined" since the beginning of the world....and that we have already been given "every spiritual blessing in Christ" (Ephesians 1:3).  EVERY spiritual blessing.  Not some.  Not the ones we want or need.  But EVERY spiritual blessing.  Girlfriend, you already have what you need to make it in this life!  Those prayers of desperation ought to be changed to prayers of faith claiming His promises.  What's done is done.  God doesn't take back what He's given.  Every blessing is already yours.  Need patience, joy, understanding, forgiveness?  It's already yours!  Don't allow your human mind to rob you of what you already hold in your spirit....access it!  Apply your faith!  

As we read and learn the principles set throughout His Word we start to realize that God is not moved by necessity or the desperation of His people....He is moved by FAITH!  He is already on your side, now it's time to dip into His power made available to you through the Holy Spirit and take ownership of what is already yours.  Don't let Christ's death be in vain.  It was for your salvation, your redemption, your forgiveness, your freedom and that you would have LIFE IN ABUNDANCE.  Life can deal us the worst hand in the deck....and it's nothing that God can't work with and turn to good because He is all powerful.  Trust that.  Live for that.  And don't forget to thank Him in all that you do.