Joy for the Journey
“But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.” Acts 20:24 NKJV
Hey friend,
Does your life ever feel like one big hot mess? If the answer is yes, I want you to know that you are not alone. The struggle is REAL (Really - True Story)!!
And if the answer is no – well, I need your wisdom because mine feels like a big hot mess most of the time! :)
There are days when my journey feels like sunshine and rainbows but then there are days when it feels as if I’m on a battlefield. Can you relate?
Whether this “battlefield” comes in receiving a phone call of heartbreaking news or collapsing from exhaustion at the end of the day wondering where all the hours in the day had gone to – this journey of life can feel like it is conquering me instead of me conquering the journey.
The apostle Paul gives us some insight on how our journey should be in life. Paul is one of my most favorite Bible characters and probably the one that challenges me the most.
Paul tells us in Acts 20:24, “But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.”
Paul wasn’t shaken by the battlefield of life and believe me; Paul endured many “battlefields”. No matter how many times Paul was imprisoned, stoned, beat, mocked, shipwreck, etc, Paul never lost sight of his goal of sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ to a lost and dying world.
Friend, that challenges me. How many times do I allow life’s battlefields to deter me from my goal of sharing the gospel? The answer: Too many!
But it’s not just Paul’s resolve to not be shaken that challenges me. Did you notice how Paul wanted to finish his race? Paul had another goal – to not just finish his race, but to finish his race with JOY!
Dear friend, when our eyes are focused on the battlefields of life, it’s hard to finish the race with joy.
But how do we have joy?
1. Joy comes from focusing on Jesus instead of our problems.
2. It’s not depending on ourselves or others but on the hope we have in Jesus.
3. It’s focusing on the goodness of God in every situation instead of the negative. It’s believing that God is working all things for our good whether we can see the good or not. (Romans 8:28)
4. It’s realizing that we are fighting from a place of victory instead of fighting for victory.
5. Having joy is realizing that our circumstances don’t own us or define us.
Sweet friend, I’m learning that I can’t obtain joy on my own. I must rely on the Holy Spirit to help me get my eyes off the battlefield of life and onto Jesus. I must rely on His strength and not my own. It’s the only way to remain joy-filled and unmovable when the battle rages.
If you aren’t running a joy-filled race, I encourage you to spend some time talking to God about the struggle. Choose today to surrender to the Holy Spirit and allow Him to show you how you can have an unmovable, unshakeable joy in the middle of the hot mess of life!
Heavenly Father,
Thank you for people like Paul in the Bible. People that chose to surrender and be used by you even in the hot mess of what was going on in their life. Paul knew how to run his race with joy – even in the midst of all the hardships and heartbreak. Help me to run my race with my eyes locked on you. Teach me how to have joy in the middle of the mess. I love you Lord, In Jesus Name, Amen.