God, I just want to be happy.
Hey everyone! It’s your girl Julie, back with another segment of “Salty & Lit,” and in today’s post, we’re going to be talking about happiness. Let’s pray.
Dear God, thank You for this day. Thank You that You are our Father. Thank You that You care about us and want to make us into the image of Christ. Father, thank You for the times You’ve corrected us. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
“You choose to take heart of the situation, believing the best will work out for you, even if you can’t see it yet.”
Those words I mentioned in the beginning were words I spoke to God years ago. I was dealing with something, and I was frustrated with God about the circumstances, and I told Him I just wanted to be happy, yet God was showing me that though He cares about my well-being, He wants my looking like the image of God more, even if that means sacrificing temporary pleasures for that moment. The Bible talks about suffering seasons, and it talks about how the suffering season produces things within us.
In James 1:2-4 (NLT), James writes, “2 Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4 So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.” God tells us in His Word that when we go through tough situations, it’s for our betterment. In this verse, we learn that we develop endurance. God knows what kind of situations to put us through to make us like the image of His Son, but we have to be willing to go through the process.
God knows what kind of situations to put us through to make us into the image of His Son.
But we have to be willing to go through the process.
During that time, I went through a lot of stuff: correction. But, I can look back and say that I am grateful that God took me the way He did because it developed me into a better person.
“Consider it pure joy, brothers, when you go through trials..” is the same verse but in another translation. It doesn’t say “feel happy” because happiness is a temporary feeling, and it doesn’t say be angry because it’s not something for us to hate.
Rather, James says to have joy because joy is something that can occur even in the midst of hard circumstances. So when God says to consider it pure joy through James, that means you choose to take heart of the situation, believing the best will work out for you, even if you can’t see it yet.
Joy is something that can occur even in the midst of hard circumstances.
I must admit those seasons were hard, but they made me more into the image of Christ and made me into the woman of God I am today.
So my friend, how are you looking into the image of God? Are you waiting well? What are you doing in your waiting season? Are you becoming more like Christ, or are you just waiting for the season is over?
Let’s pray.
Dear Heavenly Father God, thank You for this time. Thank You for teaching us that You love us and want us to be conformed to the image of Your Son. Father, we repent for the ways in which we’ve fallen short, and I pray for those who don’t know or have relationship with You, that they may know the finished work through Your Son Jesus Christ, so that we may have right standing with You. Father, we thank You and love You for all these things. In Jesus’ Name, we pray. Amen.
Well, that’s all I have for today! Don’t forget these three things: you are loved, salty, and lit! Talk to you soon! 🧡
