I was reminded yesterday of a little conversation I had with God a number of months ago. I was standing at the sink washing dishes, and thinking about joy. “God, if joy is one of the fruits of your Spirit, and I have your Spirit, why don’t I have joy all the time?” God’s response: “How fully are you walking by my Spirit?” Ouch. It is true, though, that the more completely I am obedient, the more complete my joy.

There is a cycle here. If I am doing what I am supposed to be doing, I am joyful, which motivates me to do what I’m supposed to do. If I am not doing what I’m supposed to be doing, I get discouraged, which makes it difficult to want to do much of anything – most of all the things I should be doing! A conscious effort is necessary to continually perpetuate the “joy cycle” and break the “discouragement cycle.”

Filed under: Spiritual Journal by Rachel
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