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Luke 6:22-23

22 Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man’s sake.

23 Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets. (KJV)

Do you look outside of yourself to other people or material things as a source of happiness? In other words, is your joy based on the circumstances around you?

Our joy shouldn’t come from man but it should come from God above. Men will let us down but God is forever the same.

How can we determine if we truly have the joy of the Lord?

When you go through life’s trials do you find yourself complaining and saying things like, “Oh, I’ll never rise above this,” or “why does this always happen to me?” If so, then you are basing your joy on the things of this world.

I believe it’s God’s desire for us to remain hopeful and uplifted even in the midst of our trials. When you are going through storms in your life, instead of having a pity party, make the decision that you are going to fight the good fight of faith with positive attitude.

How do we remain joyful during adversity?

I’ll admit it’s not easy to be joyful all of the time. Some days are easier than others because we’re human and the flesh wants to pull our spirit down.

I believe what helps during difficult times is look for the things in which you are blessed rather than things that are worth complaining about.

Matthew 18:13 says And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray.

Make the choice, that during difficult times you will focus on the things that you are thankful for rather than those things that drag your spirit down.

Remember to keep an optimistic mindset. God is a merciful God and He allows us to make our own decisions. You can either choose to go through adversity with your head down, dragging your feet, looking for a pity party, saying “woah it’s me,” or you can choose to focus on the good in your life.

As long as we are looking outside of ourselves to those around us to make us happy, we’ll discover quickly that life is a roller coaster full of ups and downs.

Make the decision today that no matter what happens today, that you are going to be joyful. Know that God is your strength and your present help in the time of trouble. Lift your head up, stick your chest out and put a smile on your face and declare that the Joy of the Lord is inside of you!

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