The Question: Do you struggle to find joy or reason for celebration within your relationship with God? Why or why not?

Some Backstory: Recently I've been struggling to keep joy in my day-to-day life. I've been on this emotional roller coaster of spending time with the Lord, accepting His presence and peace and then falling back into my flesh. Meaning paying so much attention to what things look like and what I feel that everything the Lord spoke becomes wallpaper instead of the furniture I rest on. Great to look at but has no practical use.

Now how did that change? Well, recently my youth group at church has been going through different spiritual disciplines, and I had signed up to teach one of them. And can you guess which one I got? That's right—you guessed it—the spiritual discipline of celebration! The level of stress I felt during the week leading up to my teaching was immense because, if I'm honest, I didn't practice celebration in my day-to-day walk. How could I? Everything I saw in my life I was looking at through the lens of depression and uncertainty. Then I came across this scripture.

The Scripture: "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

Scripture Backstory: During this time, Paul was imprisoned and he was sending a letter to the church in Philippi to thank them for their care package. Throughout this letter, Paul is telling the people there not to be discouraged but to keep the faith, as he had found how to be content in every moment because of his relationship with the Lord.

Word Breakdown: Take a moment to look at the definition of these words and plug them back into the scripture above. Defining words from scripture is a great way to receive a deeper understanding of what is being said.

Key Takeaways:

You have to lay it down /Surrender Whatever it is you are holding close to your chest, you have to put it aside so that you can see God for who He is. Think of it like this: the pride I carry is so large that my view of God is being blocked. Or my insecurity is so large that my view of God is being blocked. Whatever you are so unknowingly or knowingly holding onto so hard is blocking your ability to see or accept God for who He is. Ask the Lord for help in checking your heart, and when He shows you, decide to surrender it, to let it go.

Rejoicing is a command Rejoicing or taking delight in the Lord is a command. It is something we are required and deeply urged to do often. Just as when we are dating or are thinking of our friends, we generally don't think about the things they do but who they are. We find joy in their goofiness, their wisdom, their strength, etc. It is the same when it comes to the command of rejoicing in God. You are meditating or thinking about the attributes of God and finding joy in them.

Stay Surrounded in God's Character Taking delight or joy in the Lord means that we are allowing ourselves to be so immersed, surrounded, encompassed by His character and His presence that we have no other choice but to rejoice. What are you surrounding yourself with on a daily basis? What thoughts are you allowing yourself to entertain? Do you allow yourself to think on what the Lord has already revealed to you about Himself? I know for me the Lord has been continually showcasing over and over again that He listens. But because I do not keep that in remembrance, I find myself having moments where I question if God is even listening. Keep worship music going on in the background, listen to podcasts about God, listen to the Bible while you fold laundry. Find ways to continually keep your remembrance of God active.

Acknowledge God's Presence When you acknowledge God's presence in your life, there begins to be an actual interaction between you two. If you look above at the scripture mentioned, everything within this scripture shows an exchange of interactions, a relationship happening in real time. You can know about someone and never interact with them. What does it look and feel like when your friend is with you in your room? Now what does it look and feel like when your room is at home or in another state? What do your requests and conversations and interactions look like? How do they differ? When we acknowledge God's presence, we are able to rest because it's no longer about us trying to figure it out and do it in our own strength. We are given the ability to move slower, and be more gentle, and have thanksgiving, and joy because He holds it all together.

Accept His Peace I don't know about you, but often times I do find myself speaking to the Lord about the things that I am experiencing. But I don't as often find myself listening well and allowing the Lord to minister to me and actually agreeing, or taking His advice. People often ask how you are able to hear God's voice. And the really simple answer is spending time in His word. The more time you spend in His word, the more you are accustomed to His ways. But like any friend who goes to another for advice, you have to make the active choice to not only listen but heed. So when you tell the Lord about a situation or habit you're struggling with and He gives you an answer or direction, make the active decision to heed His advice, to accept the peace He is offering you because there's a certainty of His character.