Have you ever thought about the people you know who consistently show strength and resilience in the face of seemingly insurmountable challenges? About the people who somehow manage to enjoy incredible peace during some of life’s toughest times? About how they do it and what they have in common?
When I found myself reflecting on those questions, the answers became the foundation for and the fundamental message of Finding Joy in the Morning: You can make it through the night.
As I wrote the book, I realized that it wasn’t a self-help book but rather an I-can’t-do-it-alone book.
Though it is human nature to want to be in complete control of the situations and circumstances we must deal with, life is not something we are made to handle alone. No matter what’s happening, good or bad, we need God and each other. We were created to be part of God’s family, dependent on God and on others.
That dependency is a magnificent two-way street. We are not just receivers of God’s grace, mercy and wisdom, we are His wonderful hands in this world—hands that are used to give and receive in beautiful interconnectivity.
If we try to do things on our own, we will not only fail in the end, we will be miserable along the way. That we are dependent on God is not a burden, it’s not a crutch, it’s something to be celebrated. Accepting and celebrating our dependence on God and one another is the key to knowing peace in this chaotic world.
Paul explains this very clearly in his first letter to the Corinthians. He writes, “Now the body is not made up of one part but of many.” (1 Corinthians 12:14) After he explains how the parts of the body work together for the whole, he says, “If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.” (1 Corinthians 12:26) Every one of God’s children is part of the body of Christ.
When you understand that, accept it and live it, it won’t matter how out-of-control the world gets because you know God is in control and you’ll be at peace.
Adapted from Finding Joy in the Morning: You can make it through the night and Intentional Joy: Discover Strategies to Create Joy for Yourself and Others (Study Guide) by Jacquelyn Lynn.
Find out about Intentional Joy workshops here.
Jacquelyn's latest book is Christian Business Almanac, scheduled for release in summer 2024.
She is the author of the novel Choices (A Joyful Cup Story) as well as the nonfiction books The Simple Facts About Self-Publishing, Words to Work By: 31 devotions for the workplace based on the Book of Proverbs and Finding Joy in the Morning: You can make it through the night. With her husband, she is the co-creator of several coloring books for adults.
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