Finding Joy in All Circumstances
In a world filled with uncertainty, challenges, and heartaches, finding joy can be a struggle. Yet, the Bible—particularly the book of Philippians—reminds us that joy is not merely a fleeting emotion. It’s a choice we can hold onto, no matter what life throws our way. In Philippians, Paul encourages believers to find joy even in the midst of adversity. He offers a blueprint for us to follow when we’re struggling to keep our spirits lifted. Joy is a Choice, Not a Feeling Paul’s letter to the Philippians is often referred to as the “Epistle of Joy,” and for good reason. Despite being in prison, separated from his beloved church, Paul’s message was clear: “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4). His call to rejoice wasn’t based on his circumstances, but on his relationship with God. This is an essential lesson—joy isn’t something we simply wait for or hope will come our way when things go right. Joy is something we choose, something we cultivate even when life feels heavy. Just as Paul found joy despite being imprisoned and persecuted, we too can choose joy by focusing on the goodness of God in our lives. Joy Comes from Trusting God’s Plans In Philippians 1:6, Paul writes, “Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Even in uncertain times, we can rest assured that God is working behind the scenes. When we feel overwhelmed by life’s struggles, holding on to the promise that God has a plan for us helps us look beyond the present moment. Trusting that God is working all things for our good (Romans 8:28) brings us peace, which in turn nurtures joy. It’s not about pretending everything is perfect but rather recognizing that we are part of a bigger story. One that ultimately leads to hope and fulfillment in Christ. Joy is Found in Serving Others One of the most profound aspects of Philippians is Paul’s example of joy in serving others. In Philippians 2:3-4, Paul writes, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.” Sometimes, our joy can be found when we stop looking inward and start looking outward. Serving others, even in small ways, can bring immense joy into our hearts. Helping someone in need or offering a kind word can shift our focus from our problems and remind us of the goodness in the world. Serving others with a heart of love and humility aligns us with God’s will and fills our lives with purpose and joy. Peace Leads to Joy Paul also encourages believers to “do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (Philippians 4:6). Anxiety and worry are major joy-stealers, but Paul reminds us that peace comes when we bring our worries to God and trust that He is in control. When we surrender our fears to God and choose to trust in His peace, joy follows. It’s not a superficial happiness, but a deep, abiding joy that comes from knowing we are held in God’s care. The more we allow His peace to rule our hearts, the more we can experience the fullness of joy that only He can give. Joy is Rooted in the Gospel Finally, the ultimate source of our joy is the gospel—the good news that Jesus Christ lived, died, and rose again for our salvation. In Philippians 3:7-8, Paul says, “But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord…” The knowledge of Christ’s love for us, the security of our salvation, and the hope we have in Him is the bedrock of true, lasting joy. No matter how difficult our circumstances may be, the gospel offers a joy that cannot be taken away. As Paul reminds us, knowing Christ is the greatest treasure, one that brings peace and joy in all seasons of life. Holding On to Joy in Every Season So, how do we hold on to joy? By choosing to rejoice, trusting God’s plans, serving others, seeking peace, and remembering the gospel. These practices can transform our perspective, even in the midst of life’s challenges. It’s not about denying our struggles but about choosing joy despite them. As Paul shows us, joy is not about our circumstances; it’s about our focus. When we focus on God, His plans, and His promises, joy becomes a deep well that we can draw from, no matter what we face. Let’s hold on to that joy, knowing that in Christ, we have everything we need. We will be talking through the Biblical meaning of joy and how to achieve it. As a church we will be studying The Joy Challenge by Randy Frazee together. Purchase your copy of The Joy Challenge at the Minooka, Seneca, Coal City or Shorewood Campus for $10 and join a Lifegroup. There are groups meeting in the Minooka, Channahon, Shorewood, Joliet, Morris, Coal City and Seneca communities on different days of the week at different times. If you aren’t local, we even have online lifegroups available!
Is God Right For Me?
I, like many Christians before me, have gone through a lot of spiritual change and transformation and have asked myself, “Is God Right For Me?” As I’ve taken time to reflect lately, I thought that I’d share my story. I grew up at The Village, with incredible and loving parents, who are still to this day two of my greatest supporters. We went to church every Sunday. I would go to Sunday school or to “big church”. Throughout my childhood we would often talk about the message and its meaning, as well as the important aspects of being a Jesus follower. Fast-forward to seventh grade, and I got baptized! It was an amazing moment, celebrated with my family, and was happy about my decision for the most part. There was a part of me that was filled with uncertainty. That was right before I went through what I like to call my “low spot”, which was eighth grade and my freshman year of high school. How Low Can You Go? A combination of toxic friends, a non-religious boyfriend, and stressful health issues followed by weight gain definitely put me in a low spot. I was seriously questioning if God even existed at all, often feeling uncomfortable at church, as if I didn’t belong or was an imposter. I was wondering if this whole God thing was really for me, and I decided that I would be just fine without him there. Uh-huh. I only felt empty, which pushed me away further. I was wondering how God could let me feel so empty and hollow if He really did love me. Fast-forward to January of Freshman year. I had a difficult breakup and just more emptiness. I finally told my parents about how lost I was, and they helped guide me in the right direction. They helped me to order my life, but I still hadn’t accepted that it was my struggling faith that was at the root of my problems. One Moment Changed Everything The emptiness persisted. Months later, in the spring of 2020, I had my moment, my epiphany, as I like to think of it. It was strangely sudden, and it caught me off guard, but I prayed. I don’t know why, it was over something trivial, but I remember thinking, “Thank you, God.” And that simple thought sparked this strange warmth in me. So I kept the conversation going, as if I were talking to my dad, just saying what was on my mind. I opened up my heart for the first time in ages. All of my regrets, pain, and secrets. Over the next few weeks, I prayed more often. Over the course of time, He cleansed me, of everything. I felt clean, even more so than what I felt at my baptism. I returned to Him, and He took me in with open arms. Since then, I’ve wavered on occasion. I go long stretches without praying very frequently, and then inevitably, I feel more overwhelmed and stressed than I otherwise would have. But there have been several moments, such as my mom’s cancer, where I shared my pain with Him, and His comfort has been greater than I could’ve imagined. A Pleasant Surprise The more I involve Him in my life, the more I find that I am content, and I see more joy around me, even in times of pain. I’ve learned that no pain I can experience can eclipse God’s goodness. When I go to Him, I feel at peace. For those of you who are wondering if this whole God thing is right for you, I might suggest that you take a moment to seek earnestly. No matter where you are in life, He will take you. He wants you; He wants your heart. His hand is always outstretched towards you, waiting for you. Don’t be afraid to take it. You may be surprised by where your life goes from there. Everyone is in a different place in life, there several places you can get connected. Learn More About Baptism Find a Lifegroup Serve At The Village How Can We Pray For You?
Do You Feel Empty?
Are you missing a lasting satisfaction in life? Do the things that you are looking forward to having or achieving fade and leave you feeling empty again? I think I’m so passionate about Christ because I lived my life without Him for so long. Great on the outside. Inside – empty. Loving my kids and husband, of course, but constantly seeking something that I wasn’t aware I was missing. Can You Relate? I spent hours of mindless scrolling on TikTok or Facebook, emptying a few bottles of wine every night. Working out endless hours and tracking calories? Finding comfort in a political party? Binge-watching Netflix until 2 AM? Working on making the outside look great with material possessions and purchases? Brand names? The newest “fads”? I sought comfort in all of these things, yet none filled me. None of these could fill that void. When you’re living with that empty place inside that you’re not even aware of, life loses its beauty. When you love your husband or wife, but you complain about them, and you love your kids, but they’re exhausting and aggravating. You love your life, but to escape it if only for 15 minutes? Man, that would be amazing. I lived under the pretense that if I could only find “me time” for an hour, everything would somehow be better. That’s how I operated for so many years. I remember laughing off the idea of an “all-good, sovereign God” and mocking my closest friend’s faith (thank you for your forgiveness, both to my friend and to God). Jesus Fills The Void It wasn’t until Jesus literally grabbed my soul and turned me inside out that I felt that complete and total contentment. Purpose. Fulfillment. PEACE. Joy. The blessings in EVERY single season—yes, even the hard ones. Happiness in the chaos. Love inside our home. There was a black and white turning point in my life, and I’ll forever be grateful for that. I now see the true meaning of sacrificial love. Our marriage is radically transformed, renewed, and so much stronger. Our attitudes toward giving have changed so much. The way I look at those who are different from me is a complete 180 from what it used to be. Now we view our children as THE most important ministry. Not as interruptions or annoyances, but as physical proof of God’s blessings (even during temper tantrums and monumental, yes – monumental, fights). Spending hours in prayer and worship and connecting with the One who made you. Finding the beauty in everything. Living every moment in grateful response of the ULTIMATE sacrifice our creator gave for us. I remember reading a quote, and I can’t remember who it came from or what it was in. It went something like- “When you fully understand the magnitude of what Jesus did for you, you will live every single day of your life differently until you leave this Earth. If you aren’t living your life differently yet, then you don’t fully understand what he did.” From Emptiness To Peace It is my prayer that everyone would live to one day experience that peace and joy. A total and complete fulfillment that doesn’t leave you based on your circumstance. A peace that stays despite the bills, the pay cut, the kids’ school grades or sports shortcomings, or things in the news. That even in the midst of life’s terrible storms, your peace would not be shaken. That you could go confidently into whatever season of life you’re in, with the complete assurance that the creator of the universe is there, walking right alongside you. Check out these free Resources to help point to Jesus
Why You Should Say No To Busy
Do you ever feel overwhelmed with the busyness of life? Do you know why you should say no to busy? What does that even look like? Memories Of Being Carefree It’s summer, and I love everything that comes with it. I love the smell of hamburgers cooking on the grill, the tingle of sun-kissed skin after a long day of swimming, gardens filled with the hope of fresh vegetables soon, and the memories of being a carefree kid during summer. This week I saw two of my little neighbor girls sitting on a blanket, giggling and eating a popsicle. They were so carefree. So simple. So happy. It brought me back to being a kid myself in the 80s. The highlight of my summers were Disney popsicles and summer reading at the library. I was pulled from my daydream and jerked back into reality as my phone began to chime over and over. It was text messages and email reminders for everything my kids either needed to do or needed to sign up to do soon. I don’t know when we got to this place, but this summer my daughter had 3 open gym times for 3 separate sports, all in one day, and that was just school-related sports. On To The Next Activity It seems that being busy has become the new norm. Whether you are single, married, have children, or are an empty nester, you need to have a full schedule. You need to have picture-worthy date nights, vacations your friends envy, and hobbies to post about. Your kids need to be scouted by a reputable college at their little league game, and one sport or activity must now overlap the previous one. There is no room for downtime, and the busy days leave little time for more than a frozen pizza or drive-through dinner at the end of a long night. We are subconsciously fed the message that we need to do more, be more, and accomplish more. The “world” has figured out how to make us believe this lie. Algorithms are designed specifically to know what we want, what we think, what we fear, and what we desire in a matter of clicks. It’s so subtle we don’t even realize it’s happening. We are all on one big lazy river! Have you ever been on a lazy river? I will say it’s relaxing for a while. You lay back on a raft, and the current takes you. No effort is necessary on your part. You can even close your eyes and get some sun. Everyone is moving in the same direction, at the same speed, and at the same time. Then comes the moment you are ready to get out. You see the stairs coming, and you hop off your raft, but you miss it. You now have to walk against the current, pushing against other rafts, to make it to the steps to get out of this lazy river. Turn Off The Autopilot That is how I see this current season of life. Everything from audible books, to razors, to pre-packaged meals, has an “autopilot” option. Vendors want you to lock into something, so you don’t need to give it a second thought. It’s all taken care of. It’s very passive, and can be very dangerous in our spiritual life. If we are not alert to what we are passively saying yes to, then we become another floater on the lazy river. Being a follower of Christ, especially during this time in history, takes action on our part. If you are going to be a person who follows Jesus, you WILL look different from those around you. Even more difficult, if you are raising a family who follows Jesus, you will look different from those around you and that is rarely going to be easy. Jesus said in Matthew 7:13: “Enter the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” Distractions Lead To Destruction The enemy knows he cannot steal our salvation, but he can distract us. He can avert our eye from God and put it on the things of the world. Many times the things that distract us are not bad per se, the problem lies when those things get priority over God. The world makes it so easy to just enter the wide gate that leads to destruction. Heck, the world will even install a lazy river, so you can float right through the gate. I challenge you to hop off your raft! Climb out of the lazy river and make an active decision to participate in the life God wants you to have, not the busy life that the world says will bring you peace, satisfaction, and success. Say no to busy. Clear up your calendar. Dare to have enough time to be bored, rest, and listen to God’s still small voice. “Be still and know that I am God” Psalm 46:10