{"id":26121,"date":"2021-11-30T14:26:02","date_gmt":"2021-11-30T19:26:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/liveoriginal.com\/?p=26121"},"modified":"2021-12-20T16:49:33","modified_gmt":"2021-12-20T21:49:33","slug":"joy-in-every-moment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/liveoriginal.com\/joy-in-every-moment\/","title":{"rendered":"Joy in Every Moment"},"content":{"rendered":"

Note from Team LO: We are SO excited to bring you this month’s post from our LO sister member, Maggie Castonguay! We are so encouraged by the message she offers today. If you want to be a part of this incredible community, you can join today! Find out more about this online sisterhood HERE.<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0And for more info about what LO sister is all about, visit our\u00a0Instagram Page!<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Now, enjoy today’s post from Maggie \ud83d\ude42\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

________<\/p>\n

\u201cHow do you find joy in every moment?\u201d<\/p>\n

Someone once asked me this question and to be honest, at the time I didn\u2019t know how to answer it. This world is filled with heartache, tragedy, and grief. How do<\/em> you find joy in every moment, living in a world like this?<\/p>\n

While I was writing this blog post, I realized that I haven\u2019t looked up the definition of joy. When I googled it, I found the biblical definition and it put everything into perspective.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe biblical definition of joy says that joy is a feeling of good pleasure and happiness that is dependent on who Jesus is<\/strong> rather than on who we are or what is happening around us. Joy comes from the Holy Spirit, abiding in God\u2019s presence and from hope in His word.\u201d<\/em> 1<\/sup><\/p>\n

Whoa. That\u2019s good!<\/p>\n

For a long time, my joy depended on my situation. If I played a great game, I would be happy. If I had good grades, I would be happy. If my friends and I were getting along, I would be happy. But if any of these things weren\u2019t going how I\u2019d like them to, I wasn\u2019t happy. In fact, it felt like my world was falling apart.<\/p>\n

The reason it felt like my world was falling apart was because my joy had been found in the things of the world. I couldn\u2019t find joy in every moment because I valued the things that were in the moment more than Who was leading me in the moment.<\/p>\n

I am sure that most of us have heard the famous quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson that says, \u201cLife is a journey, not a destination.\u201d And this is so true about our life here on Earth. As Christians, this world and this life is not our destination. Heaven is our destination, but life on Earth is our journey to get there. There will be ups and downs, happiness and heartache, but through it all we can have joy and peace knowing where we are going.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see. So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while.\u201d (1 Peter 1:5-6) NLT<\/em><\/p>\n

Ever since I started to put God above the things in my life, I began to find true happiness. Of course, I still have days where I am upset and don\u2019t feel the happiest. I\u2019m human, and that is part of living in a fallen world. But it is in these moments of frustration and sadness that I feel God\u2019s presence the most. God can turn any moment of sadness and hurt into a moment of joy and praise.<\/p>\n

This is because God is joy<\/strong>. When you draw near to God, you will experience love, joy, peace, and understanding far beyond what we can imagine. You can draw near to God by spending time with Him. You can do this by reading the Bible, singing worship songs, or writing in a prayer journal. However you choose to, having alone time with God is crucial when trying to get closer to Him and finding the true joy that can only come from Him.<\/p>\n

When I was in high school, I was on a number of different athletic teams. I loved to compete and I loved the adrenaline rush that came with playing sports. To me, being a Christian feels the same way. The closer I draw near to God, the more on fire I get for Him. I want to spread the Gospel, and tell everyone about Him! However, unlike an athletic team, we know that every time we step onto the court our team is going to win. God has defeated death, sadness, sickness, and pain, and we get to be on His team!<\/p>\n\n\t\t