Key to Joy: Point to the Process
Have you lost your KEYS to joy? Find them by staying committed.
“I screwed up again!” She said with frustration boiling through her words.
“I’ve tried so many different things, and so many different people have opinions about what I should do, or steps I need to take to fix this.” Desperation filled her voice and for a moment I felt it with her. I let myself feel her desperation.
I stopped. I recalled a time in my own life when I felt similarly … I had been struggling with chronic illness and unanswered questions and hopelessness consumed my mind. I remember trying desperately to fix my thinking, my own broken tendencies, and myself. In reality, I didn’t need to try – I needed to rely. I needed to learn to abide In Christ and experience His satisfying presence comfort my starving soul.
I remembered the most helpful words spoken to me during that time. I tacked these words on my corkboard and let them direct my thoughts each morning for months.
Your job today, Kaitlyn, is to stay committed to the process God is calling you to.
If I do this, I am successful.
So, what is this pivotal process?
We all have various vocations and our lives might look remarkably different – but the primary process we are all called to is this:
To become like Jesus.
“For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.” – Romans 8:29
Paul highlighted this truth in his letter to the Galatians. He writes earnestly to convince the them they cannot earn favor with God by rule keeping. They would never be able to fix themselves or their problems, and they would spend their lives in futility if they tried. So Paul told them, “It is not what you and I do … It is what God is doing, and he is creating something totally new, a free life!” – Galatians 6:14 The Message
So when the problem feels overwhelming, don’t ignore it, hide it, or dismiss it. Simply shift your focus from the problem to the process God is calling you to today. Are you staying committed to the practices that lead you to become like Jesus? Are you staying committed to the relationships that will keep you focused on this primary process of becoming like Jesus?
No matter what is happening around you today – be reminded that God is creating something new within you, and this is where you learn to rely on God, instead of continuing to try on your own.
PS – If you don’t have a morning routine, consider implementing one.
Emily P. Freeman gives some amazing advice about this on her podcast, The Next Right Thing Episode 76: Create A Simple Morning Routine. She recommends that your morning routine include these two elements:
Something that makes you feel like yourself
(I get out my art supplies, almost every morning)
Something that helps you connect with God
(I create flowers or nature scenes, create on my keyboard or write)
Emily says that doing these two things each day will help you be yourself throughout your day, instead of searching to find yourself in other people, activities or things. What could be part of your morning routine?
Problems fade and joy grows when we keep pointed towards this process:
transforming into the likeness of Jesus.
