Bigger Better Faith: 5 Ways to Choose Joy and Find Time to Talk to God Every Day

BIGGER BETTER FAITH 5 WAYS TO CHOOSE JOY & FIND TIME TO TALK TO GOD EVERY DAY From Yvette Walker and

BIGGER BETTER FAITH 5 WAYS TO CHOOSE JOY EVERY DAY By Yvette Walker, Positively Joy Ministries

What's holding us back from our joy? During the beginning of the pandemic shutdowns, I worked from home. Every day I got up, made the bed, fed my four-footed kids (two cats, one dog) and came into the dining room. I don’t know why, but the dining table became my makeshift desktop. I opened my laptop, logged on and began the day. I’m a bit of a homebody, so I loved the arrangement, even though I’m an extrovert and missed the company of my coworkers, friends and students.

Since day one I had some regular visitors: the birds. These busybodies love to talk, and it is a sound of … well, if I had to describe it … a sound of pure joy. From outside my window, I heard chirps and twitters, caws and beeps. It’s a majestic symphony! I wonder, are the birds really singing for joy, praising the heavens, even? Do birds even have joy? Maybe. Some ornithologists have proposed that birds may sing for pleasure. Bird expert Melissa Mayntz suggested that it is possible that birds enjoy their own sounds, as well as singing with other birds that respond to the birdsong. More research is needed to verify this, but it’s an inspiring theory to think that birds do sing for the joy of it.

it’s an inspiring theory to think that birds do sing for the joy of it.

I have been thinking about joy – and the absence of it. And, Mayntz says, they sing for lots of reasons – to find mates, territory disputes and even at “funerals,” where some birds group around a fallen friend, mate or chick. It’s easy to put human emotions on animals, but as we move into upcoming seasons I have been thinking about joy – and the absence of it. I think it’s mostly because of the circumstances our country finds itself in. I also know that God is the answer. Jesus says in John 8:36 (NIV) “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”

ONE WAY WE CAN CHOOSE JOY IS TO BELIEVE. JESUS TELLS US HOW IN JOHN 8.

One way we can choose joy is to believe. The rest of Jesus’ quote in John 8 goes on to tell us how to believe.: "Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." Jesus says being a slaveto sin means NOT being a part of his family, and having no room for His word. But if we believe He set us free by dying on the cross for our sins, then we ARE part of his family and we should want to make room for his word. And we should not delay. But how?

5 TIPS FOR CREATING FAITHFUL HABITS

To choose joy means to make a choice. And that choice starts with a habit. When you are trying to quit smoking or lose weight, experts say it takes 21 days to make a habit stick. And that's trying to do something hard! Making time for Jesus isn't hard! It's easy, once we get used to creating some time in our day for His word. Here's how to do it.

CREATE AN ATMOSPHERE THAT MAKES IT EASY TO CHOOSE JOY. Create a faithful habit: Get up one hour early and go to bed one hour early. Spend this extra time reading God's word, straight out of the Bible, or through a devotional or journal. When you wake, greet the day by saying "good morning" to God. Keep a reminder on your nightstand if you think you won't remember. Create an area in your home for a place to meet God. In the Old Testament it was called the "tent of meeting." In your home, it can be a chair in a corner, or a room dedicated to meeting with God.

5 TIPS FOR CREATING FAITHFUL HABITS

CREATE A QUIET PLACE. In this place you have designated, quiet your mind and calm your spirit. Ask God to speak to you. In a journal, notebook or sheets of paper, write down the words he gives you. Reflect on these words throughout the day.

FEED YOUR MIND AND BODY. Just as your body needs nourishment, your mind needs to be fed with His word and with books that help you connect with God. Read a devotional such as mine: "Whispering in His Ear," or Mary Jo Pierce's "Adventures in Prayer," or "The Struggle is Real, but so is God" by Misty Phillip.

REMEMBER HIS PROMISES. Our Lord is so faithful! He has chosen us to be His ( Deuteronomy 7:6) He is our refuge and we find protection in him (2 Samuel 2:2-3)

5 TIPS FOR CREATING FAITHFUL HABITS He will answer us when we call to him (Psalm 86:7) He gives us rest (Matthew 11:28) He will give us perfect peace if we focus on him (Isaiah 26:3) He fights our battles (Deuteronomy 1:30) We can trust faithfulness (Psalm 33:4)

MAKE PRAYER YOUR FOUNDATION Prayer is how we speak to God. He has given us this special form of communication just for you and Him. In the Bible, he encourages us and tells us that we will hear us: "I watch over you, and I listen for your prayers." Peter 3:12 This is what the Lord, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer, and seen your tears." Isaiah 38:5

Jesus said: "When you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you." Amen!