Living as God's GirlSample

Joy

I hope you know the fun song that starts like this: “I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart. Where? Down in my heart… ” 

Joy, like love, is much more than something you feel when everything is going great. Joy is something you can have however hard life is at the moment when you remember that you are God’s chosen daughter. And, like love, joy grows in your heart because God lives in you.

Joy is a fruit of the Spirit.

When I was a little girl, I sang that joy-joy-joy song all the time. My family and I sang it in church, at home, and in the car. But it took me a long time to realize that even when things around me were sad and life was hard, I could still have the joy I was singing about.

A lot of sad things happened where I grew up. My neighborhood wasn’t very safe, and we didn’t have a lot of money. My mother, my brother, and I lived with my grandmother. I was grateful for a warm home to live in, but it wasn’t fancy. Even with these not-so-good circumstances, my grandmother always seemed to have the biggest smile on her face. Even when everyone knew things weren’t good, she remained joyful.

I didn’t understand how she could do that. Not many people understood how my grandmother could smile so much, and she was always eager to explain it to them. She loved telling people about Jesus and the joy she had because of His love. Having joy in her heart helped her be grateful in any situation—and it can help us too.

How would you treat those around you if you always remembered that God’s joy is in your heart? 

I’m thinking you would not have to be mean when someone says something unkind to you or about you. You wouldn’t have to feel sad because of anything people do. And you wouldn’t have to worry when bad things happen. And bad things do happen. When they happen to you, remember that joy is still available. You can choose joy.

And God wants to help you make that choice. When you are feeling sad because of something, talk to God about it instead of worrying. And while you’re talking, ask Him to help you know His joy.

One more thing. You can also choose joy when you’re going about your everyday life. Maybe your parents have asked you to do some chores, and you really don’t want to. Even then, you can choose joy. You can thank God for your family and your home and your opportunity to be helpful.

What are a few other ways you can choose joy today?

Peace

Everyone who knows me knows I love babies. And I especially love a brand-new baby! 

When they are a few days or weeks old, and their skin is still wrinkly and super soft—that’s my favorite! It’s so amazing to me how small these newborns are and how much they will grow in such a short amount of time. I love seeing their tiny hands and chubby toes. They smell amazing and make the cutest sounds. I could sit and stare at a newborn baby for hours… Well, at least until they start crying.

God doesn’t want us crying whenever we need or want something. Instead, He wants us to trust that He will take care of every single thing we will ever need. He wants us to trust Him and to experience the peace He wants to give us.

Peace is another fruit of the Spirit.

The Bible says God is the Prince of Peace. That should be no surprise because peace is part of who God is, and it’s another fruit of the Spirit that He grows in our hearts.

To understand what peace is, let’s start with its opposite. And the character trait that’s the opposite of peace is worry. What kinds of things do you worry about? Maybe you worry about performing in front of an audience or flying in an airplane or having a really hard conversation with a friend.

We could find a lot of things to worry about; we could actually make worrying a full-time job. But the Bible explains that we don’t have to worry. God wants you to trust Him with everything too. It doesn’t matter how big or small your problem is. When you feel yourself starting to worry about something, pray and ask God to help you experience His peace.

When you say yes to peace, you are choosing to rest and to wait for God to give you everything you need.