How to Have Joy Even If

December 21, 2024 Cathleen Zahradnik

“I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.” John 15:11 NIV
“You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence…” Psalms 16:11 NIV

Joy is the theme of Advent Week Three. Joy has also been my word for the year 2024. You will hear more about it in a future post, but around October or November, I begin to pray about a theme word for the coming year. I was and am certain that Joy is the word that was meant to be my 2024 theme. But to be honest, I am still trying to discern why. Would you mind processing with me?

Here are a few of my notes from last year as I looked forward to 2024:

JOY - Joy is about HOPE fulfilled. Joy is in the hoping, but complete joy comes as the hope is fulfilled. Joy is a choice based on hope. JOY releases control and obeys with hope. JOY comes from hopeful obedience. JOY is the natural result of hope.

From Christianity.com: “Biblical joy is choosing to respond to external circumstances with inner contentment and satisfaction, because we know that God will use these experiences to accomplish His work in and through our lives.” Joy is a choice, but God gives us the ability to choose it.

From a YouVersion Daily Refresh: “To rejoice is a declaration of trust.”

My conclusion note: Joy is an emotion of happiness that begins with a choice to trust in God’s promises. It is the natural result of hope. Trust is the key to joy

So, what is my takeaway from a year of contemplating joy?

Joy begins with a choice. In our emotion-driven culture, people tend to let their feelings guide them rather than make choices that guide their feelings. The emotion of joy starts with a choice to remain in God’s presence, to make Him the center of life.

There have been many unanticipated changes in my life over the years. Changes that I didn’t want and that caught me off-guard. I have had to learn to take an “even if” perspective and that has led to joy. What is an “even if” perspective?

How to Stay Anchored in Hope

December 7, 2024 Cathleen Zahradnik

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13 NIV

What does hope mean to you? For me, it means expecting God to move. I have hope because, regardless of what I see happening, I know God is in control. I believe God is God and will act accordingly. Sometimes I don’t get to see the good outcome, but I believe it will happen all the same. Those aren’t just words to me. It’s something I have learned to live and that helps me stay anchored in hope.

Are there times when you wander from hope? What brings you back?

Here are a few things to consider that help me remain connected to hope.

God’s promises help me stay anchored in hope. “This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary.” Hebrews 6:19 NLT

The promises of God are a lifeline that keep me connected to Him. When I stay connected to Him, I stay connected to hope.

There are times when I feel like I have to figure everything out. I feel responsible for solving the problem in front of me or helping someone I care about by giving them an answer to their dilemma.

You Really Do Need People. And They Need You.

November 23, 2024 Cathleen Zahradnik

“Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.” Hebrews 10:24-25 NLT

I am a people-oriented introvert. I love people. I enjoy being around people, but social interaction is draining to an introvert. After a while, I just need some quiet alone time. If you are a task-oriented introvert, you may love people but focus more on getting stuff done. Either way, when you have reached your limit, you need to retreat just like me.

If you are an extrovert, being with people fills you up. You can be with people all day long and feel energized. You could be a people-oriented extrovert or a task-oriented extrovert. Either way, you don’t need the same kind of alone time that we introverts need. Viva la difference!

So, where am I going with this little personality lesson? I’ve learned that even as an introvert I need the people of God, and they need me. The same is true for you.

Both introverts and extroverts are called to love and serve people. I recently attended a conference where I knew a lot of people. However, I went alone, not with a group.

Anxiety or Peace?

September 28, 2024 Cathleen Zahradnik

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7 NLT

“I’m not anxious. I’m trusting God!” I want that to be true. But I know that what I want and what I am experiencing don’t always line up. What about you?

Years ago, God gave me an anxiety indicator. I felt like my tongue was swollen and asked for prayer. The Holy Spirit showed my pastor that I was rubbing my tongue against my teeth because of anxiety. That was a surprise! After that, I learned to recognize that tension in my jaw is an anxiety indicator.

You and I know peace is possible, but how do we move past anxiety and get to peace?

What are your anxiety indicators? Part of making our way to peace is to recognize anxiety. As I shared, when I notice tension in my jaw and neck, I know that anxiety is present. My brain may not be busy, but my body tells me the truth.

Sometimes my brain is busy trying to solve problems. You too? My busy brain might look like this: Recurring thoughts trying to resolve something that is or is not my responsibility to fix. It might be about money or relationships, the future or the present. It might even be about world events. The world is full of people and people have problems that need solving. But those problems are not usually my responsibility. Or yours. I have learned that mentally trying to solve a problem is my attempt to control it. Control is not trust, is it? In fact, the desire to control is a peace-stealer.

How do you release control and gain peace? I once heard someone say that anxiety results when I want to control something that is God’s to control, and peace comes from releasing control to God. Here’s an easy way to summarize it: A-C=P. In other words, Anxiety – Control = Peace.

If I feel anxious, I ask myself: What am I trying to control? How can I release that to God?

Easier said than done, I know. But the first step is to peace is acknowledging the anxiety and the desire to control to yourself and then bring it to God. When you and I bring our anxious thoughts and desire to control to God it’s a form of worship. Really! Being honest with God is worship because it acknowledges that He is the one with the power. It means that you or I step away from the steering wheel and let Him do the driving. When we acknowledge God as God that is worship.

What does peace look like? Peace comes when I leave the outcome to Him. If I am anxious, it is about the outcome, not the situation itself. Peace comes when I trust. Trust is ready to accept any outcome. That is when peace settles in like cloud cover.

Clouds seem to make the world a bit smaller. Although we prefer the expanse of blue skies and the warmth of sunshine, “peace clouds” call us to a cozy, indoor day where we are safe and comfortable. Ominous dark clouds are different. They call us to prepare for a storm. “Peace clouds” bring a gentle rain that refreshes vegetation and clears the air.

Dear Friend, you and I fail to trust God often. It’s a fact. But don’t be discouraged. God understands our weakness. That’s why He encourages our trust over and over. He knows trust leads to peace.

God has given you and I trust as a goal and then tells us how to work on it. Pray. Bring your anxious thoughts and desire to control into His loving and forgiving presence. Thank Him for His past faithfulness. Enjoy His presence now and trust Him for the future faithfulness you can depend on. Then peace will settle in.

Key Question: How do I move past anxiety to peace?

A Scripture to Consider: “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 4:6-7 NLT

A YES Challenge: Ask God to show you any “anxiety indicators.” What outcomes are you trying to control? Take some time of honest prayer to release control to God.

Prayer: Father, I thank You for giving me anxiety indicators. Help me to recognize them and pay attention. Show me how my desire to control outcomes is leading to anxiety. Help me to bring my anxiety to You and trust You regardless of how things work out. I need the peace that only You can give. Amen.

Rest. Are You Listening?

September 21, 2024 Cathleen Zahradnik

“God has told his people, “Here is a place of rest; let the weary rest here. This is a place of quiet rest.” But they would not listen.” Isaiah 28:12 NLT

Tom and I had COVID this week. Not a big deal. Not like it might have been in 2020. But being sick is ALWAYS inconvenient, isn’t it? If you are like Tom and me, you have a list of things to accomplish in a week. But being sick means our priorities change. Appointments are rescheduled. Errands are postponed. Being sick slams on the brakes.

Let’s say you are traveling on a local open road at 55 miles an hour and suddenly a deer leaps in front of you. You slam on the brakes! Once you miss the deer and start to move again you proceed cautiously, keeping your eyes moving. Where there is one deer there are usually more, right? After a while, once you are sure that deer is alone, you regain 55 mph and cruise on. You refocus on getting to your destination. That is what most of us do. That is how we often approach life. At least, I know I have.

But what if God uses those times in life that cause us to “slam on the brakes” to get our attention? What if He intends to call us into a season of rest? What if He is saying to resume your journey at a slower pace? What if there are beauties to notice along the way?

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.