Joy – Page 30 – The Will to Wake Up

Who Defines You?

Do you often feel used or deemed worthless by others? Do you feel burned out by trying to live up to others’ expectations?

I don’t know about you, but I can often exhibit people-pleasing tendencies. If you aren’t sure if you are a people-pleaser, consider this list of statements and see if any resonate with you:

I feel worn out because of other people’s demands, yet I can’t say no
I often feel used by others
I get my fulfillment through making others happy
I often just go with what others want, even when I have a different opinion
I hide my own feelings if they differ from others
I get hurt by criticism really easily, even if it’s constructive
I try to figure out what other people think of me, because that affects my self-esteem
I allow others to decide how worthy I am

If a few of those (or all) really clicked with you, then you have probably had issues setting boundaries and you’ve been really hurt by others for either not appreciating you or for things they have said that you’ve let get to you.

Here’s the thing, yes part of it might be on them for not being diplomatic or for not realizing how you feel. But you need to be honest with yourself and realize that if you’re allowing others to determine how much you are worth, then you are going to be in an endless cycle of feeling less-than. You will never measure up to everyone’s standards of excellence.

I’m in a writing class (there’s a pro-tip coming ahead if you’re also a writer) and we comment on other people’s short stories. As a people pleaser, I often get upset when people don’t like what I’ve written, or even when they’ve found a tiny flaw that doesn’t satisfy them. I’ve allowed their ideas, these random-people-who-I’ve-never-met’s ideas, affect how I view myself as a writer. I am so easily discouraged that I dread reading their comments, even when many of them have both positive and critical things to say.

But here’s the thing: they don’t know me. They don’t know my story. They have their own struggles that they are dealing with. And they have different perspectives. So I should listen to what they are saying, but take it with a grain of salt.

As I read the most recent comments, I noticed a similarity between them and ones from previous work. None of them agree with each other. One person likes the opening monologue while another thinks it’s boring. One person feels like a character is their best friend while another can’t relate to them.

My bottom line is this: Whether you are a writer or not, you can’t please everyone. There’s just no physical way.

And the truth is, no person can fully understand you or your whole story. Only God knows you deeply and loves you.

Imagine you see this gorgeous painting that you want to further understand. You wouldn’t let some fifth-grader who just got dragged into an art museum explain the artist’s intent behind their work, would you? Not if you wanted the truthful, deep, thought-provoking answer dripping with love and affection for their masterpiece.

That’s why you shouldn’t let the people you meet online, your coworkers, or even people close to you define you. No one can express how much you are truly worth like your Creator can. He’s the only one who knows your full purpose, how intricately designed you are, and how long it took Him to breathe you into being.

You are fearfully and wonderfully made. Never let yourself believe otherwise.

I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.
Psalm 139:14

Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tried you in the furnace of affliction. For my own sake, for my own sake, I do it, for how should my name be profaned? My glory I will not give to another.
Isaiah 48:10-11

Then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.
Genesis 2:7

Inner Beauty is Most Valuable

Do you struggle with feeling good about your appearance? Here’s some encouragement.

I’ve seen a lot of posts recently about people sharing vulnerably their stories that deal with lack of self-esteem related to their bodies. I think many of us, some more severely than others, have struggled to see ourselves as worthy, especially in relation to our appearance. With all our culture’s standards, it can be difficult to remember how valuable we are. There are so many verses about not focusing on the outward appearance, such as (and not limited to):

The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. A man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.
1 Samuel 16:7

Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror.
James 1:23

Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.
Matthew 7:20

These verses can serve as both a comfort and a warning. You might ask, “But Hannah, I don’t particularly like my appearance. I’m not going into the modeling business or some career that mostly focuses on outward beauty. I’m not like that person over there who clearly works hard at their appearance.”

First of all, we have no idea how much a person cares about what they look like. They might be just as insecure as one of us and we shouldn’t judge based on how beautiful we perceive them to be.

And second, we can be just as guilty of focusing too much on our outward appearance when we criticize ourselves as someone who thinks they are overly gorgeous and makes sure everyone knows it. (And that person, by the way, is probably doing that to seek validation, so they probably aren’t even as secure as you may think)

It’s so important to take care of ourselves and to love who we are because God made us that way. But it’s also important to just not focus too much on what we look like. When we place working or stressing over our appearance above who we are as a person and what we’re doing for God’s kingdom, then we miss out on what God has planned for us. We lose sight of what’s truly important in our lives.

And in the end, our bodies will fade away. All that’s left will be our souls. So why don’t we take the time to work on what will last forever instead of the temporary, especially if our bodies cause us grief?

Instead of asking yourself, what food should I eat to make my body attractive or why don’t I look as beautiful as that person over there, ask yourself these questions:

Am I living in a way that honors God?
Do the people around me feel loved?
Am I doing things that I feel passionate about?
Am I taking time to rest?
What am I doing to serve others?

That’s not to say don’t take care of yourself. It just means that once you start focusing on living out God’s will, then your body will not be the center of your life anymore. People will start noticing you for your amazing character traits instead of your looks.

But these verses are also meant to be a comfort. God sees us in a way no one else can. We (and others) see ourselves through a broken mirror, broken by sin, broken by society’s expectations, broken by lies. We are broken until we allow God to heal us, to make us who we are meant to be.

You are loved and worthy and beautiful no matter what you look like. Never forget that.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
1 Corinthians 13:13

“How Are You Doing?”

When was the last time you asked someone, “How are you doing?”

I’m going to admit, one of my guilty pleasures is rom-coms. I don’t know why since I wouldn’t consider myself the “most romantic person in the world”. But if there’s a really good rom-com out there, I will likely watch it and enjoy it.

The most recent one I’ve watched is the third movie about Lara Jean in the To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before series. She and her boyfriend, Peter, have gone through many ups and downs since they initially got together at the end of the first movie. They’ve matured and have grown significantly closer. In fact, they even plan on going to college together and staying together forever. (Might be sad if they weren’t planning on the latter, now that I think about it).

Anyway, the “big event” of this movie is (spoiler alert!) Lara Jean not getting into the college that they were planning to attend together. The issue is, because they were both planning on going for so long, Lara Jean doesn’t have the heart to tell Peter. So he buys her a Stanford tree hat, decorates his car, and takes her out on a special date to celebrate her acceptance (since he is unaware of her rejection). So you’d think that by the time she does tell him, he’d be pretty upset, right? Probably annoyed, angry, maybe even ready to break up?

But his answer stunned me. And moved me greatly. I don’t often cry during movies, and I thought I would at the end of this one since it’s the last in the series, but the moment I almost cried was at Peter’s response to Lara Jean’s heart-wrenching confession that she didn’t make it into Stanford.

He looks at her with such care and concern as she starts rambling on and on about how she can fix the situation. He stops her and says in a soft, empathetic voice, “How are you doing?”

I’m sure he knows at this moment that his dreams are crushed as much as hers. He had his hopes set on her going to Stanford too. But he doesn’t let that affect the way he reacts. Instead, he puts his care and love for her over his disappointment.

Wow. Okay, let’s regroup for a minute here. (Also go watch the movie after if I haven’t spoiled too much of it for you).

So you might be thinking, “Aw, what a great boyfriend! Next?”

No. We need to really think about this lesson embedded in this scene. Like, how many times have you been dreading telling someone something you knew would disappoint them and you were greeted with a harsh, or even just discouraged, response?

Probably many times.

But how many times have you been given love and admiration for the courage it took you to share that news? How many times were you asked, before any opinions were shared, how you were doing?

And let me flip that question around a bit. When was the last time you responded to disappointing news with care and concern instead of worry or anger?

I think the reason this scene meant so much to me is because I really wanted someone to just ask me how I was doing. I also felt guilty that I haven’t always reacted with such maturity and love to others when faced in similar situations. I’m more inclined to share my opinions on the news rather than hear their side of the story.

Now, I know there are many instances where they say not to ask that question, like right after someone died or something like that. Often that just overwhelms a person.

But I think you’ll know deep down in your heart when it’s the right time to ask if you really stop and let yourself step into the other person’s shoes.

Is there someone who needs to be asked how they’re doing? Like, how they’re really doing?

I know it can be awkward, but sometimes you just have to be the first person to make a move. You have to be the one to start that act of kindness. And if you think about it, that’s only four words. Four simple words to completely change a conversation, even a relationship, around.

So the next time you are tempted to get annoyed at someone’s bad news, think about the situation from their perspective and respond with empathy. Or, if you feel like there’s someone being overlooked or overworked, reach out and see if you can be there for them.

You never know how you might be able to change a life today.

Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
Ephesians 4:32

The Past Me: A Different Look at Comparison

Do you struggle to live up to your own standards? Do you feel like you don’t have the freedom to change?

So last post, we were talking about the dangers of comparing ourselves with others. When we fixate ourselves on other people’s accomplishments and thus feel insignificant and incapable, then we lose sight of our worth and our joy. You may have heard similar teaching in the past, but I hope it was an encouraging reminder.

Today, though, we will be talking about a different sort of comparison that I have struggled with a lot recently.

Have you been through a life-altering event?

When I asked that question, some of you may have immediately thought, “Yes”, and proceeded to think of the story related to your answer. Others of you may have thought, “Nothing that significant”. But let me tell you something, any event, even something that might be meaningless to another person, can be life-altering.

Your mindset affects much of your life, yes? They say 10% of how you feel is related to the actual event and the 90% is how you react to it. (Don’t quote me on that, but it’s pretty mind-blowing to think how much our attitude affects our life.)

Anything that has changed the way you view a person, situation, or life in general is a life-altering event. It has changed how you see the world.

Okay, back to the comparison thing. Stay with me here, and it will all make sense!

Last time I talked about how I was comparing myself to my riding partners and how that stole my joy and excitement about riding. Well, I eventually realized what it was doing to my self-esteem and enjoyment of one of my favorite hobbies. I slowly began to regain my appreciation for the sport and felt more fulfilled. But then, about a month ago, I fell off of a horse who I had previously trusted. I know that happens to every rider, and I’ve fallen off under worse circumstances before, but it still caused me to build up this fear towards riding again.

And as the past month has gone by, I’ve struggled with being disappointment in my regression in riding. I’ve taken on some poor habits that I had worked through and I’ve lost my excitement about riding again.

I’ve been so angry at myself. So frustrated. I keep comparing myself to how I used to ride and how I’ve changed since then.

And you might be thinking, Hannah, it’s not that big of a deal. You’re fine. Or, it makes sense that you are afraid. You shouldn’t be mad about that.

But haven’t you ever had a life-altering event change your perspective, and suddenly you can’t enter a situation, activity, or relationship the same way?

We all think that change is such a bad thing. But the issue is not the change in us. It’s how we try to enter these spaces as the same people we used to be.

I heard a message on the radio that really spoke to me. When we walk into a room, sometimes we get a weird vibe that makes us want to leave and re-enter. Sometimes, we have to re-enter the rooms of our relationships, situations, and activities. We need a fresh start now that we are not the same as we used to be. We should have different expectations for ourselves.

We need to stop comparing ourselves to a past version that no longer exists. We often get told to not judge others based on how they used to be. But now we need to extend that same grace to ourselves.

The reason these life-altering experiences happened may not be known to you yet. But they all have a purpose. God is shaping us into the people we are meant to be, and we have to trust that.

No matter how we change, we will always be loved by God. That never changes.

Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!
2 Corinthians 13:5

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Galatians 2:20

The Comparison Trap

Do you struggle with comparing yourself to others? Here is some encouragement.

My word of the year, which I may have shared earlier, is joy. A quote I saw this week, simple but important, was this: Comparison steals joy.

Comparison is a trap we all have or will step into at one point or another. I’ve had a difficult time with comparison, and I didn’t recognize my current struggle with it until seeing this quote and thinking about how it truly has taken away my joy.

I think there’s the common way of thinking of comparison– comparing ourselves with another person.

But we also can have difficulties with comparing ourselves to a past version of us and with a false standard others hold of us.

I’m going to be doing a short series on comparison, starting with comparing ourselves to other people, and I’ll touch on what I mean by the other ways of comparison in another post.

I am a horse rider. I think I have shared that on here, and it’s become a big part of my identity, especially now that I work at a barn. Last year, I rode with two newer riders and was the “most knowledgeable in the ring”. But in the fall, I started doubting my abilities when comparing myself to the two new people I started riding with. I lost my enjoyment of horse riding. I lost my sense of motivation. I just became frustrated with myself.

Now, there’s more to that story, but that ties into next post. For now, let’s stay here a moment.

When have you felt like you excelled at something, just to get that feeling taken away from you?

That feeling is pride. And sometimes when God knows we need a lesson in humility, He allows for that pride to get ripped out from underneath us.

Because, let’s face it, there’s always going to be someone better. A better rider, a better writer, a better teacher, a better ______.

The reason why comparison hurts us is because we lose confidence in ourselves.

But you see, confidence is a good thing while pride is not.

God wants us to be confident where He’s placed us. We need to have faith even when we feel like the least knowledgeable person.

And chances are, we aren’t quite as “bad” at whatever, whether it be a sport, hobby, job, or physical trait, as the negative voice in our heads make us believe.

We are just in a different stage. We are in a different season. And trust me, you won’t be the least experienced forever. Someday, you might even be the most experienced. So learn what you can and don’t waste the season you’re in right now.

I know it’s hard when we think other people are better than us. I know it’s hard when other people confirm the lies we repeat to ourselves, the lies that say oru worth is based on what we can do and not who we are.

But I’m going to combat those lies for you– for both of us– right now.

You are valuable no matter what you accomplish, whether it’s a little or a lot. You are making a difference in other people’s lives, whether or not you get appreciated. And you have a future, even when other people say you aren’t going to change. Because you are going to change. We all are. And that’s a good thing, because the more we change, the stronger we become.

You are strong enough to combat those feelings of insecurity. Those doubts. You are enough.

For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.
Galatians 1:10

Not that we dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who are commending themselves. But when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding.
2 Corinthians 10:12

But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor.
Galatians 6:4

Live Like There is a Tomorrow

Are you more inclined to live like there’s no tomorrow or like every decision will affect the rest of your life?

A phrase that gets thrown around a lot these days is “live like there isn’t a tomorrow”. The intention behind that phrase is to remind us that we need to take risks and not count on there being some “better” time to do something that we’ve been putting off.

Living without fear of the future and without regrets is super important. I completely support the idea of living that way. But I think we are ignoring other vital truths by acting like we have to do everything RIGHT THIS MINUTE. We forget what it means to be patient.

Now being patient and procrastinating are two very different things.

An example of being patient is when you remain single because you know in your heart that you haven’t met the one God has for you yet and you trust that you’ll meet that person eventually, but for now you are content.

An example of procrastinating is refusing to get into a relationship with someone who feels right because you are afraid of commitment or you want to continue playing the field when you need to be more responsible.

The problem with living too much in one lifestyle, not having that balance of “no regrets living” and “oh let’s wait living”, is that then we cannot fully live life the way God intends for us. If we get so caught up in the moment, we don’t think about how our present actions might negatively affect things in the future. But if we are stuck overanalyzing everything and never make a decision, then we can’t appreciate the joys of spontaneity and trusting God through whatever we end up deciding to do.

Today I want you to think about why you are where you are and why you are doing what you are doing.

Are you going for that promotion because you have worked long and hard, and you know that’s the next step to take in your career? Or is it because you feel like you just have to have the next best thing in order to be the greatest?

Are you in a relationship with this person because you feel like they are who God has given you for this stage of your life and you love them? Or is it because you think you will never find anyone better?

You could fill in the blanks of those questions for whatever you’re doing right now. For me, I’m trying to figure out if the reason I’ve slowed down in my college preparation process is because I’m nervous about making the wrong decisions or if it’s because I want more clarity from God.

Everyone has a different answer to the question of whether or not they are making decisions off of fear of the future happening vs fear of the future never coming. But my overall point is to realize that yes, there may not be a tomorrow. But you do have to think long term and realize that God tells us to both wait and act in the Bible.

Never wait to deepen your relationship with God or to say the words you know someone needs to hear. But perhaps there are other things in your life that need to slow down.

I’m not speaking on God’s behalf. Like with everything else, listen to God and figure out what He’s telling you through everything you’re going through. He understands the best.

Therefore, return to your God,
Observe kindness and justice,
And wait for your God continually.
Hosea 12:6

Wait for the Lord;
Be strong and let your heart take courage;
Yes, wait for the Lord.
Psalm 27:14

The Power of Gratitude

Gratitude is the key to joy, no matter what you’re going through right now.

My word of the year, which I may have shared earlier, is joy. I’ve talked a lot about joy on here because joy is such an important component of our spiritual lives, not to mention just life in general.

When we have joy, our outlook on the world changes. It becomes something completely brand new and crazy. It’s amazing.

But sometimes life brings us down. We feel upset over a loss, anger over a heartbreak, frustrated over a job. An assortment of attacks from the enemy can bring us down.

But the number one defense against losing our joy is gratitude.

I recently started a gratitude journal, which I’d highly recommend investing in, but you don’t need anything too fancy to begin your journey to a more joyful life.

Just get out a piece of paper and set a timer for two minutes. During that time, write down as many things as you can think of that you are thankful for. Write down why you’re thankful for them.

Even if you feel like everything’s been taken away, just remember that one thing never will be– God.

God loves you unconditionally and no matter what, no one can take away the incredible sacrifice He made for you because He loves you so much.

A key reminder I heard that I may do a whole post on later is this: Our lives are a mere star in the sky in comparison to the rest of the galaxy that represents our eternity with Jesus. Nothing can compare to the wonder and splendor of life forever with our amazing Lord and Savior. Not even the worst day of our lives.

Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.
James 4:14

The joy of the Lord is your strength.
Nehemiah 8:10

Forward

Having trouble letting go of someone? Here is some advice and encouragement.

I don’t know who needs to hear this but…

It’s okay to move forward. It’s okay to move on. It’s not mean.

If you needed to hear that, then someone probably came to mind. Perhaps an old friend, an ex, a person from your past that hurt you. But you were close, and you don’t want to let go.

Maybe everyone close to you has told you that you need to let go. That it would be the best thing for your mental health. That you deserve better.

And if you’re at the stage where you know that letting go is better for you, then you agree. You know that you are a child of God, born to love and to be loved back.

But something is stopping you. Something is in your path, denying you the chance to move on.

Perhaps you didn’t get the closure that you needed.

Let me tell you, I lived with the lie–that false belief that plagues our media obsessed society– that we have to get closure in order to move on. Then, literally a couple days ago, a post by a psychology expert changed my life.

To paraphrase, her post went something like this: I don’t know who gave you the idea that you have to get closure in order to move on. Maybe it was all those romance movies or books, the way the media likes to make us feel like we’re the anomaly…but the thing is, so many of us don’t get closure. And if we do, then we still have questions afterwards. There’s never going to be that moment that the other person makes for us where we suddenly lose that love and feel as free as a bird soaring through the sky. But the thing the media doesn’t tell us is that those movies are all fiction. Our lives are our own. We are the only ones who can give ourselves the freedom to move on and enjoy life again.

To add to that, from a Christian perspective, yes, we are the only ones who can bring closure. Except, we can’t do it alone. Jesus is there and He knows what it’s like to feel rejected, abandoned, and betrayed–by His own loved ones! His disciples! He does completely understand how we feel and He is the only one who will never leave us.

Here’s some tough love. You’re not going to get closure.

You’re not.

Not in the way you expect, anyway. Oh sure, you might have a good long talk. You might even part ways as the sun is setting behind the mountains as joyful tears fall from your face. But that’s never going to be enough.

The only way to feel fully content is to find your joy and satisfaction in Jesus. The only way to not be lonely is to surround yourself with God’s love, by praying continually and reading the Bible, not to mention staying in close contact with others who encourage and support you.

You might feel like a mean person for moving on, and I get that. I get all of these feelings.

But the thing is, you are making the choice to move on from this person because they hurt you. Because they weren’t good for you. Because you know deep down in your heart that the Holy Spirit (plus your best friends) told you that it’s time to let go.

So, if you feel like moving on means that you’re still in contact, but just not relying on them, then fine. If moving on means that you’re blocking them for your own sanity, then alright. If moving on means simply having that freeing feeling in your heart and not thinking about them anyone, then good.

Moving on isn’t the same for everyone. But ultimately it means that this person isn’t your whole world anymore. They aren’t going to be consuming your thoughts, bogging you down, or making you feel less than who God says you are.

Moving on means that you’re free. You can finally be who God created you to be without other people getting in the way of that.

I know it’s hard, but I also know you can do it.

Don’t give up.

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that tis to be revealed to us.
Romans 8:18

You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.
Isaiah 26:3

New Year, New Mindset

2020 has been a rough year. Now is the time to reflect on what God was doing through the difficulties. What is the most important thing you’ve learned in 2020?

Looking back on the past year always teaches me a lot of things. Often we don’t feel like we have grown or changed, but in reality, we truly have. God has used all the difficult circumstances we have gone through in order to help us become who we are truly meant to be.

I heard the joke a lot last year (before COVID and the spiraling of events that took place afterwards) that we would have 2020 vision in 2020. I think people assumed that meant that we would have the perfect year since we could see things perfectly.

When I first got glasses, I was amazing by the world around me. I didn’t have horrible vision, but I forgot what things really looked like. That didn’t mean that I just noticed the individual flowers along the path or the faces of loved ones more clearly, though. By having renewed vision, I was able to see all the tiny flaws that had all blended together, safely hidden, while I had imperfect vision.

2020 has given us perfect vision. It has exposed the flaws within our society, within a world that has turned away from God. It has exposed the needs of the people around us who we could more easily ignore when being busy going to social events, the office, or wherever. But 2020 no longer allowed us to deny suffering, inequality, injustice, and most of all, 2020 made us realize that we truly have no control. Only God does. And that’s why we need Him so much.

I’ve thought long and hard about the most important thing I’ve learned this year, and I think that’s it. I’ve learned that we really have no control over what happens in life, but that we can still feel safe when we trust God, because He loves us so much and He will never leave us. God’s plan is so completely mysterious that we cannot even fathom it. That’s why we have to follow His lead and listen to His voice.

This year, I am going to challenge you to appreciate everything that God is trying to do in you and through you. Allow the hard times to be ways of connecting with God that you didn’t think was previously possible. I hope and pray that in a year where we exposed deep wounds, we can now use this coming year as a year of healing and unity.

Happy New Year! May God bless you with joy, hope, and peace as we travel into 2021.

Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.
Proverbs 19:21

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born, I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.
Jeremiah 1:5

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Ephesians 2:10

Don’t Let the Enemy Steal Your Joy

Are you having trouble fully experiencing joy this Christmas? This might encourage you and help you regain your joy.

Christmas time can bring a lot of different feelings for everyone. For some, it might bring excitement, anticipation, and hope. For others, it may bring up past feelings of grief, loneliness, and confusion. I bet that this year is harder than most as even people who normally have a lot to celebrate mourn all that was lost over the past year. I am sending prayers of comfort for all of you grieving someone or something this holiday season.

However, I’m also here to bring encouragement and help you not lose anymore joy this season.

I’ve talked about joy a lot on here, and that’s because it’s an important part of our daily lives. To redefine joy, it’s not just a state of happiness that lasts for only a short time. Rather, joy is a permanent part of us that we can have as believers in Jesus because we have faith in a good God despite hard circumstances. Joy is having hope in the future no matter what happened today. Joy is knowing that we can still be content despite what the world tells us.

On many Christmas cards I handed out this year and received, the words peace, hope, and joy were on them. Those words are often associated with Christmas because we think about how joyful that first Christmas must have been, right? We imagine the little nativity that we learned about in Sunday school where all the people came to the inn with their animals, bearing gifts for the newborn King.

But the truth is, there was a lot that first Christmas that was hard. They had a corrupt government, civil unrest, injustice, and many people struggled with illness, poverty, and uncertainty about the future. Sound familiar?

Basically, if we really think about it, Jesus made quite the sacrifice coming that first Christmas. He entered a world full of sin, a world that can never be made perfect without Him. And to top it all off, Jesus came down knowing how He would be humiliated and killed, rejected and despised, poor and without shelter many a time.

Yet, through Jesus’ love for US, He made that sacrifice to come down for us. Christmas is a celebration of love, Christ’s love, and the ultimate sacrifice He would later make for us.

You may have thought that they had more to celebrate that first Christmas than we do now, what with COVID, civil unrest, and all the other issues plaguing our world today. But as you can see, they really did have many opportunities to lose sight of their joy. Yet the ones who worshiped Jesus, who saw what a great sacrifice He was going to make for us, were the ones who really got a lot out of Christmas. When they turned to Jesus, their hope was restored. Their lives were made new. Their hearts opened to the reality that the most powerful being in the universe came down to save them.

And that’s the way to experience true joy this Christmas, to not let the burdens and hardships our present circumstances bring allow us to miss out on fully experiencing Jesus’ love for us.

I’m going to close with a recent event that happened in my life.

I was driving to the barn where I work and ride horses. As I was driving, I couldn’t help but feel this overwhelming sense of joy and appreciation for Jesus. I started praising Him for everything He has done for me and I knew that the enemy would try to steal my joy. But I told Jesus as I got out of the car that I wasn’t going to let the enemy win.

About an hour later, I was laying on the ground of the arena, my riding partner asking me if I was okay.

The horse I had been riding, who has never spooked on me before, randomly spooked at an unknown thing and I flew off onto the ground.

Standing up too quickly and needing to take a breather, I replied that I was fine, just a bit dusty, sore, and wondering what on earth was going on.

Thankfully, I’m okay. I am still sore and stiff, but after walking around and reconnecting with the horse, I got back on and cooled her down before telling her owner about it. I know that there could’ve been something that startled her, but I can’t shake the feeling that it was also a spiritual occurrance. I know that the enemy was trying to steal my joy yesterday.

But I didn’t let him.

Instead, I am going to use this experience as a reminder of how God took care of me since it could’ve been worse, of how far I’ve come as a rider to be able to just get right back on and explain the situation to others, and to be grateful that I am on the road to recovery.

This Christmas, no matter what you are going through, don’t let the enemy steal what’s rightfully yours. Jesus’ love is for you. It’s for all of us to celebrate and experience. And the joy that comes from that is yours too.

Merry Christmas! I’ll be praying that this holiday season brings you hope, love, and ultimately joy.

Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in Him.
Psalm 34:9

For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.
Romans 11:29