Joy in Jesus: How to Cultivate It in Your Life
The yard is muddied with footprints and tire tracks, and a warm front blows in from the south. I’m thankful for the early thaw. Winter was long, and I grew weary from completing the same tasks day after day. I want to live with joy in Jesus, but this kind of joy can be challenging when the daily grind is wearing.
Sometimes my life feels like an endless cycle of the same tasks.
The tasks roll on, day after day, and I wonder if it will ever end.
There are days when I’m disappointed with the ordinariness of it all. But I’m learning to find joy in Jesus in the middle of this mundane life, and it’s changing everything.
Joy in Jesus
Jesus came to earth so that our joy might be full.
I consider this joy as I stare at the muddy footprints.
There are curtain rods to hang, sheets to wash, and hamburgers to cook. Nevertheless, I’m stepping into the world and embracing it today.
My son, Caleb, agrees. He’s two years old and is my right-hand man in everything from brushing my teeth to shoveling the sidewalk.
I strap him into the rusted stroller, and we ignore stares from elderly neighbors. They are clearly concerned that this morning is too cold for a stroller walk. Forty degrees is a heatwave for us, and we’re embracing it.
Find Joy in Jesus Through Simple Fun
“Hot fire today?” he asks.
“I brought the matches. Do you want a fire today?” I ask him like he’s thirty-five, not two.
“Yeah.”
The trees are bare, and I’m surprised by the starkness of their grey arms reaching to the blue sky. I thank God for the blue sky and the warmth of sunlight on my face. I thank him that we’re healthy enough for a walk.
“Marshmallows?” Caleb interrupts my daydream.
“Yeah, bud. I brought the marshmallows,” I affirm. He’s good at remembering things.
“Matches?”
“Yep. Got ‘em,” I assure him.
We build our fire, cook our marshmallows, and watch a woodpecker pound a cherry tree. It’s an afternoon of sheer joy in the simple act of living.
I think of it now, and I’m reminded to keep my eyes on the joy. There is always something to be thankful for, and in giving thanks, we live filled.
In giving thanks, there is joy in the routines of the mundane life.
Practical Ways to Cultivate Joy
If you could use a little more joy in your ordinary moments, here are three practical ways to have more joy in Jesus today:
1. Remember a more difficult past season.
I often remember my days as a high school teacher.
The walls often seemed to close in, and I desperately craved the open sky.
I remember the joy of teaching teens with special needs to read, count money, and cook. Those were the good moments. I remember the hard moments too, managing it all and feeling stressed almost constantly.
By the end of my teaching career, I was so ready to be a mom and spend my days investing in my own kids. As I recall this past season in the classroom, I more readily count these long days with my own little ones as joyful pleasures.
There is always something to be thankful for, and in giving thanks, we live filled. #gratitude #givingthanks #embracingordinary Share on X2. Reframe your obligations.
Being outside with my son under blue skies on a brisk winter day isn’t an obligation.
It’s a gift.
My heart overflows with gratitude as I ponder the gift.
Remind yourself of the goodness that is woven into this season of routines and cycles. Learn to embrace quiet mornings watching the sunrise, dinners gathered at the table, and even the work of your days.
Count the work as a blessing, and you will change the way you see your life.
3. For more joy in Jesus, pursue whimsy.
Merriam-Webster defines a whim as “a capricious or eccentric and often sudden idea or turn of the mind.” Sometimes what we need most on dull and monotonous days is a pause to pursue an eccentric whim – to break out of the routine.
Send a ridiculously silly card to a friend.
Go to the local mall and indulge in one of those sweet-smelling pretzels in the food court.
Take a ride on a sled with your child, or take twenty minutes to pursue a hobby you set aside years ago.
This kind of whimsy can breathe life into the most mundane days.
As for us, the fire in the woods seems to break up a long week. It took less than an hour, but we return home feeling refreshed and replenished.
A Free Devotional for Greater Joy in Your Life
Lastly, I have a gift for you. Would you like to connect with God in ways that breathe fresh life into your weary soul? The Weary Woman’s 20-Day Devotional is my free online devotional to help you connect with God in your worn and weary seasons. You will find 20 daily readings to help you find refreshment in God’s presence. Click here and I’ll send it to your email inbox today!
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Calling all moms and daughters!
Additionally, my teen daughter, Bekah, and I are passionate about helping moms and daughters grow closer while connecting with God. We have written two mother-daughter devotionals together. Girl to Girl: 60 Mother-Daughter Devotions for a Closer Relationship and Deeper Faith is written for girls ages 7-12. It includes 60 devotions with Scripture, conversation starters, and a shared journaling section after each devotion.
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