Moving from “over it” to “overjoyed” is the difference between trusting in self and trusting in the Lord! With the combined roles of Daughter, Godly wife and homeschooling mom, I’ve come to recognize how my sole source of pure joy is from Christ alone and not self! Experientially, I’ve also learned that there’s no possible way for me deliver my duties with diligence without a keen insight into what my Heavenly Father’s desires are for me and my household. Moreover, there’s the added responsibility in upholding the position of friend, loving neighbor and faithful witness. Yes, we women wear many hats and that could seem overwhelming at times. Yet we can rejoice knowing we’re not left on our own! God’s Spirit instructs us in how to order your days aright while providing all we need to carry out those plans! And that is where genuine joy is found! Not that I follow every instruction perfectly, of course, but I can verify how peace is present when I do adhere to the Shepherd’s voice! Listening to Him over what I think best brings such simplicity and the utmost joy to life!
I’ll share a useful Kingdom nugget of how sometimes appreciation and joy proceed pruning. Unfortunately, even as a believer, there’s been an overabundance of times where I ran off and did my own thing. Those faux pas were undeniable because confusion and exhaustion accompanied them. Striving breeds stress. The clues which confirmed I was “running on ahead of the Spirit” instead of “with the Spirit” were the undeniable symptoms of irritability and unrest. On those occasions, when I’d already ran myself ragged, it became evident how I was pushing my personal agenda opposed to yielding to the Father’s purposes for me. The final result of those blunders usually led to a “crash and burn” outcome. After licking my wounds and accepting the appropriate discipline, I’d be led to prayerfully pause! And it’s always in that place that I’m met with the sweetness of stillness where joy is recovered! There’s no greater pleasure than when we halt with the hope of returning to the One who is our Shalom in the first place! More often than not, I believe the sorrow and regret I endure from straying strips me of self-reliance. And in the progression from selfishness to selflessness, the Spirit beckons me back into the arms of Jesus’ welcoming embrace. Whispers of His love accompanied by His pleasant counsel help me make a course correction as if I’d never even veered off the road! This time, though, upon learning my lesson from those recent mistakes, I move forward on the path marked out for me with an increase of wisdom aiding as a guide. Wherefore, I reunite once again with the joy-filled life!
Another key to the Kingdom is to picture each task as a sacrificial offering sent straight up to the Throne Room for the Glory of God! This is worship, and where sincere worship abounds, the “over it” attitude must concede to the overjoyed soul! With all the demands one day may bring, our portion may seem quite cumbersome but when we seek God’s face bidding Him into our daily walk, joy immerses! My children and I have been meditating upon this Scripture verse from Psalm 16:11 lately: “You make known to me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy!” Whether washing dishes, folding laundry, wiping counters, cleaning toilets, making beds or preparing meals, doesn’t David’s proclamation promote your passion to joyfully worship in the presence of the Living God?!
An added Kingdom gem is to rememberthat the secret to transitioning from “over it” to “overjoyed” includes a changed mindset from grumbling to gratefulness! We read in Zechariah 4:6 “Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit”, so we know not to depend upon our meager strength and ability but rather Christ living through us! Sure, one may reply how between the pulls of wifehood and mommying, there are tons of titles we hold like janitor, maid, cook, taxi, teacher and nanny to name a few. But God’s Word says His yoke is easy and burden light! How much then are we putting on ourselves compared to what He is really asking of us? Chores will continue, children will get hungry again and the house will always need to be picked up, so why not enjoy the work as a labor of love where you wait and tarry with your Best Friend during your daily grind and draw closer in as you listen for Him throughout your day. If God has blessed you with the honor to even keep a home and serve a family, view the time as a gift of His grace where you get to meditate on His Goodness and thank Him for those things! And sing about His character, knowing full well how He delights in our praises and inhabitants the songs of the saints! In this there is joy!
My objective here is to incite women to meet the Lord in those menial moments moving you from “over it” to “overjoyed”! Once you become sensitive to the truth of how Emmanuel is with us all of the time everywhere, watch how your demeanor changes. Peace, joy, hope and rest abide in the soul of the devoted and faithful child who merely wants to please their Father in what they do. When we develop the habit of occupying our thoughts with Him, there’s a supernatural contentedness to follow! So, put on the mind of Christ where the complacency over sweeping and dusting diminishes. Verily, even in the midst of the mundane, much joy may manifest!
Romans 15:13 “May the God of hope fill you with ALL JOY and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”