Rejoice!

Come, rejoice today! Allow the joy of the Lord to well up in your soul and overflow into your work.

Joy is a supernatural fruit of the Spirit. Joy transcends your circumstances. Joy transcends the work you have to finish. Joy transcends the happiness or conflicts you may be experiencing at work. Joy rises above your circumstances, annoyances, disagreements, and frustrations because God who began a good work in you will be faithful to carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. You can be filled with joy today because the Lord is present with you right now in your workplace to strengthen you. You can rejoice this moment because you are God’s child, you are united with Christ, and nothing can separate you from God’s love.

When you stand firm rejoicing gentleness will flow out of your life into all your relationships. When your life is filled with joy, God softens your heart and understanding so that you can gladly accept your co-workers and customers exactly as they are. A life filled with joy, is like a warm, welcoming home where they can enter without being worthy or deserving, or fear of being hurt. The joy of the Lord overflows from your life with words and actions that bring healing and encouragement.

It isn’t always easy to be live with joy, or to be gentle with all people. There is a secret to joy when you hear the hounds of anxiety howling in the distance or snapping at your heels. The secret is to take everything, every business decision, every technical challenge, every presentation, every conversation, every wonderful experience and every stressful situation with thanksgiving to God in prayer.

Prayer is like plunging into the life giving fountain of God’s grace so that you can be supernaturally refreshed for your tasks at work. Acknowledge your utter dependence on God. Acknowledge that God in his sovereignty is supreme over your work today. Express your complete trust in God and joy will well up in your life.

God who is totally trustworthy, who transcends anything your mind can imagine, promises to set soldiers around your heart and mind to keep out all the alien forces who would disrupt your joy, who would ravage your mind with fears or crush your heart with anxiety. When you come to God in prayer, God promises you his peace. God’s peace will bring you the hope, confidence and strength to carry on with joy even when the burdens are heavy and the pathway is rough.

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!