Your Journey To GratitudeSample

DAY FOUR: Pursue Joy

Joy is a wonderful characteristic of the surrendered life. Indeed, it is difficult to imagine a joy-filled life without absolute surrender to God. Jesus clearly teaches the prerequisites for experiencing His joy. It is a result of cultivating a relationship with Him. He is asking believers to live in complete surrender to God as He lived in total surrender to His Father.

The fruit of the Spirit is God at work in us, producing the supernatural attributes of Christ in our lives. We cannot develop these qualities fully by ourselves, but only through our union with Christ.

Rest is another wonderful result of living a completely surrendered life to God. As we learn to rest in His redemption, we will experience His joy, and we will leave worldly pursuits behind. As we focus on His sweet will for our lives, we will realize that what we own in life is not important. Taking on the mind-set of Jesus, surrendering to His will, transforms our priorities. We take on Jesus Himself as our portion; we see life differently.