Predestined to Have a Good Day

What if I told you that I haven’t had a bad day in over a year? What if I said that I don’t go through “seasons” or “deserts” but that for every day of the last 365 my heart was full of joy and thanksgiving? And what if I said that this was possible for you too?

Two words out of the book of Philippians changed my life forever. They were simply, “Rejoice Always.” It is one of the simplest commands in the Bible and at the same time one of the least exercised. Most of the time, Christians add disclaimers to the phrase. They say, or at least think, “Rejoice always…unless.” Rejoice always, unless you lose your job. Rejoice always, unless you get cut off on the freeway or unless someone rams into the back of your bumper. Rejoice always, unless you have to wake up at 5am for your morning shift. And some more serious ones, which may indeed piss some people off: Rejoice always, unless you get cancer. Or rejoice always, unless your spouse is unfaithful. Rejoice always, unless your mother is in a coma or your grandfather has passed away.

The secret to constant joy is in thanksgiving at all times in all occasions under every circumstance no matter how terrible. It is in trusting in a good God who reigns over all things and who has come, not to steal, kill, and destroy, but to give life and give it abundantly. Why can we rejoice in the deepest sufferings? It is because Jesus has suffered on the cross and still sticks closer than a brother in the midst of trial. It is in suffering that we become like Christ. As Paul says, in an attitude almost completely foreign to our day, “I want to know Christ, to know the power of his resurrection and to participate in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death” (Philippians 3:10). And again, “If we suffer, we shall also reign with him” (2 Timothy 2:12). And AGAIN, “for just as the sufferings of Christ overflow to us, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.” (2 Corinthians 1:5)

Suffering was a huge part of Paul’s day-to-day life. He was surrounded by death on all corners, and yet he still says REJOICE ALWAYS. Oh, how our lives would be changed if we followed this call. Imagine if we literally jumped up and down and glorified Jesus when our car wouldn’t start or when our paycheck was less than we thought it would be or when we had to pay bills or when our girlfriend breaks up with us. THIS IS POSSIBLE. Don’t you dare say to yourself that “we are only human” and that we can’t always be filled with joy unspeakable. The spirit of the living God dwells within us. The entirety of the Godhead (Colossians 2:9-10) has made its home in us. And if Jesus was unshakable through the trials in his life, then we should be unshakable too.

What would it look like for Christians to follow James the apostle when he says, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers when you meet various kinds of trials because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance” (James 1:2-3)? It would make for a whole lot of happy people, I’ll tell you that much. It would produce a people that pray to God, not for a good day or easy circumstances, but in thanksgiving for inconveniences, terrible circumstances, and dark days. In thanksgiving, we are all predestined to have a good day.

My Journey

I started my journey towards constant joy in my freshman year of college. I was struggling a lot with depression and decided to start what I call a “Freedom Fast.” This wasn’t a typical fast from food, but rather a fast from depression. I began meditative exercises with Jesus that led to my freedom from negative thinking and perpetual sadness. Every time I would feel the slightest shift in my heart into a negative state or hear the smallest lie in my head telling me that I wasn’t good enough, I would, by faith, breathe in the Lord who was all around me and picture myself setting my heart into his bliss. I would then thank him that I was NOT depressed and that depression was not a part of the kingdom, and then speak truth over myself about the value and love that he had for me. At first, I did a very poor job with this. I would forget to offer myself to Jesus and allow sorrow to enter in. But after a few months, the shifts in my heart became less frequent and the lies in my head became softer. Soon enough, my heart stopped shifting all together and I became consistently thankful to God, often times unintentionally. Joy became my primary mode of being and thankfulness my main way of thinking. For this first fast, I went 115 blissful days without negative emotions.

Now 22 and a graduate from college, I can say with confidence that the Lord himself taught me how to be happy. All I had to do was read what was written in the Bible, and actually do it! As Jesus states, “Everyone who hears these words of mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock” (Matthew 7:24-25). Jesus makes it clear how to live a life unshakable. Ask him what it means to listen to his words and actually act on them.

Now don’t get me wrong, I am not saying that there hasn’t been times that I have slipped up and fell back into complaining and questioning God. God knows that there were times where I completely forgot who he was and who I am. The beautiful thing is that there was always grace abounding for me during those times. A righteous man falls seven times and rises again (Proverbs 24:16). I continued to get back up and praise Jesus for all he had done. Today, I am as determined as ever to not let anything affect me. I will never complain about my small seat on a plane. I will never throw a fit over having to go to work early in the morning in rush hour traffic. I will stand firm when lies and threats from the enemy come into my head. I will trust that Jesus reigns when my family breaks apart and when my grandfather dies. I will enjoy having a cold and I look forward to the days when trials come that I cannot handle. For in those days there is an incredible bliss and transformation waiting for me. I do not need a miracle breakthrough in anything. Jesus has already broken through to my heart and filled me with Heaven’s perspective. There is nothing that will take my joy from me.

Make sure to post your comments on the bottom. I would love to share more and answer questions. Glory to Jesus!!