Being Joyful Always!

As I began my day last Sunday morning at 5:00, I so got excited to welcome SPRING! This was a beast of a winter here in the coastal part of the state but the warmer temperatures have started making their way in and March 20, 2011, officially began the spring season! Of course, today it feels as though winter wants to make an ugly return, but we will hope and pray that it will be short-lived! What better way to spend that first day of spring than being in the house of the Lord singing his praises and listening intently to his Word! I love this time of the year! Flowers are blooming, grass is turning green, the weather is just about perfect and it seems as though everyone has spring fever! We have so many things to be thankful for and many things to look forward to. It almost seems as though many of us have revisited some goals that we made at the beginning of the year. Summer is just a mere 3 months away and our motivation usually takes a giant leap forward when the weather turns warmer! Spring has a way of bringing in fresh excitement, anticipation, motivation and lots of goals. What struck me though was how to keep that excitement and motivation going when the newness wears off and things start getting harder and not so exciting anymore. We all know that those times do come. We start feeling a little less joyful and less motivated and all those things that were so “wonderful” and “fresh” at the beginning don’t look so promising anymore. Situations arise and stand to steal our joy!

I thought about the passage of scripture in I Thessalonians 5:16-18 that says;

“Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

My joy should not falter because of my circumstances. My joy comes from the Lord! I should be in a constant attitude of prayer and be thankful for my every breath; even when that breath is hard to breathe. We will all face a lack of motivation and enthusiasm at some point, but we should bathe it in prayer and give thanks to God because we DO have so much to be thankful for.

As we spring forward into this beautiful season, may we “be joyful always, pray continually and give thanks in all circumstances.” God is so good and I pray for growth in each and every one of us like never before!

Have a restful evening and know you are loved!

Blessings~

Allison