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Joy Full

Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.
-John 15:4 (ESV)

Anyone who knows me would probably say that I am a fairly joyful and happy person. I thrive off of the question, “why are you so happy all the time?” because I get to respond with, “it’s Jesus!”

A few years ago I would say I was a joyful person but definitely not full of joy. It was around this time of the year that I would grieve my grandmothers passing, both of my sister in loves were carrying children that I longed to have and my heart began to search for joy in all the wrong places. The Lord was drawing closer to me yet I was only finding reasons to pull away. I prayed harder and longer and more real. I cried and confessed my anger and I weeped and begged for my desires of my life. My problem was that I was so consumed with my flesh that I let my spirit leave. The enemy continues to tug at these heart strings every year around the Holidays but my full armor of God protects my joy.

It was Christmas evening of 2015 when I began to pray to God that I just want His will to be done. I wanted to know from Him what was missing rather than counting and confessing what I felt I was missing or needed in my life. I stopped focusing on me and began focusing on Him. It is the very dark emotions that led me straight to where I am today. I started thinking of Sarah’s waiting to conceive and Rachel’s prayer for her son. I thought of Mary and her carrying Jesus. The Lord laid multiple women in scripture to me to let me know that He heard me and He would deliver in His time the gift I was waiting to receive.

I also woke up the next morning to an invite from an old friend that I led in youth at another church. It was an invitation to New Years at Activation Church. My spirit nudged and I knew exactly what God was telling me, “Kingdom work” and “The body of Christ” was missing from my life. The Lord wanted to make me the best Sarah He possibly could before handing me over to motherhood and starting all over again. During this time I was volunteering for a dear friend of mines ministry called Abide In Him. I learned so much from her patience and her testimonies of life. I was shown so much of what I wanted to do for God by watching her joy and seeing it effect others. I was blessed by her in ways I cannot comprehend. God always knows what and who we need in our life even when we don’t. He brings people in just as well as takes them out. The more the ways of the world pushed into me the deeper I began to actually abide in Him.

It is not in people, places, or things that bring us our joy. It is found in pressing hard into our creator so He can be our comforter in times of need and He can be our provider when we feel empty emotionally and even physically. Something new always becomes old. A person has feelings just as we do so our emotions will be hurt, a vacation will end and a job will change. I may have been barren in that time of life but God was birthing something through me that would surpass anything. He was placing His Holy Spirit in me. He was teaching me to become more like Jesus. He was giving me life.

Almost 2 years later and I am more full of joy than I could even count and it all comes from Jesus and His Holy Spirit living in me and through me. January 1 of 2018 will mark the beginning of my third year at Activation Church. It was not long after following God’s instruction to me that my husband joined us at Church, I received a job that was perfectly placed in that season and was able to be a light to many, Sunshine as I was called. We tithed, we served, we became equally yoked and stronger than ever and our blessing came.

There is always something we want or desire in life that the enemy uses to his advantage to steal our joy. He only comes to kill, steal, and destroy. It is in those moments where we empty our cups and let His love runneth over. It is in those hard seasons where we sow stronger and pray longer. It is in those moments the clouds hang over our head to where we shine brighter. We have to remain in season of Thanksgiving all year, we have to remember our savior was born for us all year. We have to guard our Joy with words of wisdom, surround ourselves with people who are like minded and serve a God that is everlasting and never failing to us. It is in Christ where being full of joy keeps us joyful. Life will fail us; His life saved us!

Father,

I pray that we can abide in You and Your love. I pray that we can learn from mistakes and set ourselves free in Your presence. I pray chains of addiction are broken, the dark see the light, the sick will be healed, and that unbelievers see the light of You through another and can be saved. I thank You for blessings. I thank You for breath. I praise You for my church home and family and my ability to serve You. Let Your will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven.

In Jesus name,

Amen