Without having seen Him, you love Him; though you do not [even] now see Him, you believe in Him and exult and thrill with inexpressible and glorious (triumphant, heavenly) joy. 1 Peter 1:8 (AMPC)
Do you feel like you can’t be happy until you get your life under control? When situations don’t go well, do you often react in anger or fear?
The truth is, emotions come and go. And the devil loves to keep you locked into patterns of negative emotion. These patterns dictate your reactions, colour your judgment and destroy your relationships. But God’s Word teaches us that even when things are going wrong, you can walk around with a smile.
How? It’s through faith.
Faith produces positive emotions. When you focus on God’s promises, you release peace and joy. You have a strong sense that even in a storm, you’ll make it through. 1 Peter 1:8 even says that you can exult with a triumphant, heavenly joy. Now that’s a great emotion!
And it doesn’t say, “You’ll have joy only when the storm is over.” No, you can walk in a peace that surpasses all of your problems. You can overflow with joy when it seems there’s nothing joyful in your life. You can be happy even when nothing’s happening. We know that because of Jesus, ultimately we never lose.
This kind of joy shocks the world. Others will look at you and see a profound difference, because whatever goes on in this life, your soul is anchored in Him.
Let God’s Word cleanse and renew your thoughts. Choose to redirect your focus and enjoy the incredible mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16). His feelings, emotions, and purposes are yours!