In the Bible, joy is a lasting feeling of happiness and contentment that comes from trusting in God. It’s a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22).
Biblical joy can be found even in difficult times.
Joy is a lasting emotion that comes from trusting God’s promises.
Let’s look at 7 surefire ways to cultivate more joy in your life:
1. Be someone who regularly gets in the habit of being thankful. Actively look for things to be thankful for. Keep a gratitude journal, and daily write (5) things that you can be thankful for. Remember to count the small stuff, like hot showers or clothes to keep you warm.
2. Spend regular time in the Lord’s presence. In the presence of the Lord, the Holy Spirit can speak and give you peace, direction, and the fullness of joy. Make daily time to get into the presence of the Lord, put it in your schedule, and make this a top priority.
3. Go out in nature and observe God’s creation. Watching a sunrise or sunset can bring great joy as you witness God’s creative handiwork. Take time to observe what beautiful things God has made; it will surely bring you joy.
4. When life’s hardships hit, trust in God’s faithfulness and put your trust in Him. Joy can be ours as believers in Christ in the good and difficult times when we anchor our stability on the One who never changes.
5. Take a Sabbath day once a week. Refrain from work and rest your body, mind, and spirit. Taking care of yourself by replenishing your mind, body, and spirit can cultivate joy, but busyness can create stress, frustration, and burnout.
6. Repent as needed. Ask the Lord to reveal any sins that you need to ask for forgiveness. Unconfessed sin can certainly dampen joy in our lives.
7. Speak life and blessings over yourself, others, and your circumstances. God is love and life, and we can lessen our joy by speaking negative, faithless things over ourselves.
Joy is not based on our circumstances, but it is rooted in the unchangeable work that Christ did for us on the cross. Our joy is lasting and can bring us through the most challenging of times. If, however, you find yourself not able to cultivate the joy you once had because the cares of life consumed your joy, reach out to me and book your FREE initial life coaching session. Let’s get you back to the place where you once had joy. I use a multifaceted approach to my life coaching, incorporating the Holy Spirit, prayer, the mind, the body, and uncovering “roots” that have hindered your progress.
This is an updated edition of a post originally published on Stephanie Reck
Featured Image by Lisha Riabinina on Unsplash
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