Joyful Obedience: 4 Real Ways to Rejoice in Everyday Life
Joy is a command. Straight up. Writers throughout Scripture tell us to be joyful, to rejoice. Is it that easy? In February, I showed you seven things Scripture says about joy. Now I’m unfolding a series of articles to flesh those out. Last week, I wrote about the reality that we can find natural (supernatural) joy in our everyday lives. Today, I want to talk about joyful obedience, and 4 real ways we can keep the command to rejoice. Below you will find several resources to help you rejoice in normal, everyday life.
Joyful Obedience: 4 Real Ways to Rejoice in Everyday Life
Rejoice in your salvation
We all have a story of who we’ve been. And if we have clung to Jesus, then we aren’t the same people any longer. Praises! One amazing exercise we can do in our everyday lives to rejoice in our salvation is to lay claim to the fact that the old has gone and the new has come.
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! (2 Cor. 5:17)
It’s healthy and beneficial to remind ourselves over and over of our new identity. Like Gideon did in Judges 6 when God revealed Himself to him, we can stack stones into an altar of peace and joy, to replace the ones of immorality and evil we have torn down. As we remind ourselves of what we used to be, and stand firm on who we are now, we participate in joyful obedience.
I used to be… but now, this is me.
Download the free resource below to help you rejoice in your salvation. Column one is a place to remind yourselves of the old altars of your life, the things the God of peace has helped you to tear down. Column two is for your new stones. These are the new names God has given you; they are the things that are true about you now because the God of Salvation has rescued you. Gideon was the weakest member of the weakest clan. But God called him “Mighty Warrior.” Who were you? And who are you now?
As you write down the things that used to be true about you, cross them out. In Jesus’ name, they are finished and done. Praise God as you write down what He has birthed in you. Lay claim to the new that has come and is coming. Rejoice in your salvation!
Rejoice in God’s protection
I’m convinced we have absolutely no idea how many things God has spared us from. Scripture shows God to be a fierce protector, and all of us can attest to situations in our lives where the unexplainable has happened to keep us from physical, emotional, or spiritual harm. Gideon experienced God’s astounding protection, and no one but God could be credited with the victory. After instructing Gideon to whittle down his troops more than once, he gives the Midianites right into the hands of his measly 300 soldiers (Judges 7). It was not Gideon’s strength that won the fight, because God had confused the Midianites, and they turned on each other. Gideon had so little to offer into the battle, but he came out victorious because there is no one stronger than our God.
Everyday rejoicing includes the acknowledgment and praise for God’s strong protection in our lives. So call out God’s powerful and protective attributes, and trust that He protects us even when we don’t realize we are in danger. The resource I’ve created below is to help you be deliberate with joyful obedience.
Rejoice in God’s provision
Luke 17 holds a story surprisingly similar to many of ours. Jesus miraculously healed ten lepers. These men had been outcasts, the lowest of the low. Each was unclean until our Savior cleansed them. He told them to go and present themselves to the priests, and as they went on their way, they realized they were healed. The provision for a cleansed leper extended far beyond the radical restoration of a physical body. It returned to them dignity, family, standing within their community, and the ability to once again be involved in the everyday activities and rituals of life.
Shortly thereafter, one of the men returned to Jesus, throwing himself at Christ’s feet in abandoned gratitude. Even Jesus seemed a little surprised that only one came to thank Him. As he encouraged the man to head home, He said that the man’s faith had made Him well.
How often do you and I overlook the incredible provisions of our God? What do we take for granted? He is a Father of abundance, who gives good gifts to His children. From the breath that sustains us, to the food that nourishes, and the people to cherish, we really have no end to the reasons to pour out our gratitude. I want my faith to continue to make me well; to be the one who comes back…
I want my faith to continue to make me well; to be the one who comes back... (Luke 17) Share on XThe resource below is another one you can download to help focus your gratitude as a part of joyful obedience and everyday rejoicing. I suspect each of us could fill this a hundred times over and still never run out of things to be thankful to God for!
Rejoice in God’s care
When Jesus stood on the mountain to teach, He revealed the incredibly caring nature of the Father. He spoke of comfort for the grieving, kingdom inheritance for the meek and the poor in spirit, filling for the thirsty, and sonship for peacemakers. Later, He revealed God’s care over the birds of the air and the flowers of the field, reminding the people how much more valuable they are to God than even those. God’s care for His people is intimate and profuse. Jesus demonstrated God’s care by looking little children in the eye and pulling them up on His knee, by touching the unlovable, and dining with the sinner.
At Joy Let Loose, we believe that rejoicing in God’s care includes acknowledging His care in our lives, but also letting it loose to others. Joyful obedience and daily rejoicing is found in extending grace to others in the everyday, whether in words, finances, help, or simple company. How can you begin to rejoice in God’s care by caring for others? What tangible expressions of God’s love can you give in your home, your workplace, or your community?
I would love for you to use this resource to begin to drink in and pour out God’s loving care on others. Pray. Brainstorm. Where can you begin letting joy loose even today?
Joyful Obedience
Joy is a command. Straight up. And commands are given for our benefit. I want to be one of those people who exudes the joy of the Lord. And I want to rejoice daily in my salvation, God’s protection, His provision, and His care. So I pray that these resources will help me and help you to begin to live in joyful obedience, as we find real ways to rejoice in everyday life.
How are you living joyfully? Share your stories in the comments below about how you are using these resources to rejoice in everyday life.
Elizabeth Joy
Wanda Killam
March 31, 2017
Thank you ,Elizabeth Joy , appreciate the thought and love you pour into us .This is so beautiful today, so near the heart of God ,I know He is saying ,YES ,this is what I want ,care for others with joy. Praying for you .
Elizabeth
March 31, 2017
Yes. I think the joy filling happens even more as we pour it out! Thanks Wanda! Blessings and joy to you.
Elizabeth
April 5, 2017
So glad, Wanda! I’m on vacation this week, seeing lots of joy around me.
Evelyn E Rennich
April 5, 2017
What a wonderful reminder that, even in the midst of ANY circumstances, we always have constant reasons to rejoice in God. Thanks for this post!
Elizabeth
April 5, 2017
We all need the reminders, don’t we? I’m so glad God is faithful! Thanks for your encouragement!