Find Your Joy Through Trust

September 7, 2024 Cathleen Zahradnik

“Those who listen to instruction will prosper; those who trust the Lord will be joyful.” Proverbs 16:20 NLT

Do you ever struggle to find your joy? Where does joy go when times are trying? What if the key to finding your joy is to uncover your trust?

The Inside Out movies from Disney and Pixar are among the most insightful pieces of cinema I’ve encountered. The animated films explore how emotions affect our choices. One key takeaway is that all emotions are valuable, even the ones we would like to skip.

Joy is the primary character in the stories. Joy is often trying to take the lead and squelch any of the more difficult emotions, but Joy, Sadness, Anger, Anxiety, Embarrassment, and all the other emotions learn that Joy can’t always be in control. Yet, as Joy relinquishes the lead, she doesn’t disappear. She remains a significant part of painful memories as well as the difficult present.

How does this relate to trust? Trust accepts whatever God gives and believes it will turn out for good. Trust doesn’t try to control the outcome but walks through the situation with peace. And when Trust is in control Joy is never far away.

Trust listens with humility. One of the mis-messages I picked up as a child is that I should just know how to do things. Expectations were rarely explained, but I knew when expectations were not met. My unconscious practice became a constant and unattainable quest to anticipate and meet expectations. I felt I should simply know how to do things without ever being taught. I was extremely frustrated when I had to learn how to do something.

How to Be Strong When You Struggle With Strength

November 4, 2023 Cathleen Zahradnik

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.” Ephesians 6:10 NIV

Do you struggle with strength? If God says, “Be strong”, where does He expect me to find that strength? Does He expect me to generate strength on my own? Of course not! But where does your strength come from?

There is so much wrapped up in God’s command to be strong. You and I tend to try to obey the command to be strong by looking within — to our own resources. But what if we approached it differently? What if we approached it by looking out and looking up?

As I have worked on making this my practice, I have found some things to be true that I hope will encourage you.

The strength doesn’t come from you. I think this is the hardest thing for humans to accept and walk in. Let’s be honest. We all like to think that we are strong enough to handle things on our own. That’s why we can be so down on ourselves when we feel like we aren’t. The need to find that strength within is the very situation that caused me to turn to God at the very beginning of my walk with Him.

I had been trying to handle overwhelming emotions on my own. I had been attempting to solve all my own problems because I thought I was supposed to. But I couldn’t. To the point that I fleetingly considered throwing myself in front of a speeding car! That fleeting thought was my wake-up call.

To Experience Joy, Transform Obligation To Offering

August 14, 2021 Cathleen Zahradnik

“But I will rejoice even if I lose my life, pouring it out like a liquid offering to God, just like your faithful service is an offering to God. And I want all of you to share that joy. Yes, you should rejoice, and I will share your joy.” ‭‭Philippians‬ ‭2:17-18‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Do you ever feel like you are just going through the motions of life, even a Christian life? You get up, do what you need to do, go to bed and then do it all over again? You go to church, you serve, but it all seems so empty? I have been through those seasons as well. There are times in our lives when we have been through a great loss - of a loved one or through trials - and just getting through each day is a miracle. That is not the kind of season we are talking about here. The question I want you to consider is this: Have you lost the joy of living for God?

Daily life can sometimes cloud the light of life in Christ. What I mean is, we get so focused on doing the tasks and checking the boxes that we miss why we do it. At least, I have.

At the heart of Christian life is not religion, what I define as “human attempts to reach God,” but a relationship. Not obligations to fulfill, but an offering to be presented. Are you following God from a place of obligation or are you making the choice to offer your life to Him on a daily basis? My dear friend, when you choose to make your life an offering, I can guarantee that you will be filled with joy. I want that for you!

Here are some things to remember that will help you transform your obligation to offering.