A Devotional Moment

I HAVE TOLD YOU THIS SO THAT MY JOY MAY BE IN YOU AND THAT YOUR JOY MAY BE COMPLETE. MY COMMAND IS THIS: LOVE EACH OTHER AS I HAVE LOVED YOU. ~ JOHN 15:11-12

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Life is full of choices. We live in a fallen world where bad things can happen, but Christians have made the choice to follow God’s commandments. Sometimes the knowing the right thing is easier than following through with it, but with the serenity that God provides, in times of trouble, we can still choose to do what is right, what is good, and what is joyful in God’s view.

In Choosing Christmas, past actions have led to the protagonist feeling as if all the joy has left her life. She is at a crossroads in her career, and her personal life seems stagnant. Rather than wallow in it, she decides to make a clean break and leave the past behind. In her new position, she finds the passion she once felt, and hope enters her heart once again. But the past isn’t so simply dismissed.

Have you ever been in a position where you know exactly what is right, but if you follow through on that knowledge, you might pay some painful consequences? The pull to follow the crowd even when you know better can be a strong one. But remember, being a disciple of Christ means that you must always check your actions and thoughts to be sure you’re are doing what is best in God’s eyes.

When you strive to do the right thing, God blesses you and strengthens you so that doing the right thing—even in the midst of turmoil and hurt—not only gets easier, but also is filled with the peace of God’s love and the joy that comes with it.

LORD, HELP ME TO CONFESS MY SINS, TO FORGIVE MYSELF AND OTHERS, AND TO ACTIVELY WORK FOR THE JOY AND THE PEACE YOU HAVE PROMISED FOR MY FUTURE. IN JESUS’S NAME I PRAY, AMEN.