Habits of Joyfulness

Life is not always happy. There are times when sad things happen, and it is good for us to feel sad and grieve during those times. But it is not good for us to be unhappy all the time or to let the unhappy things take away the joy that God wants us to have in our hearts all the time. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 gives three commands that bring us joy when we consistently obey them.
The first habit of joyfulness is to “rejoice evermore.” To rejoice means to express gladness. There is always something that we can be glad of, even in the worst circumstances, because our joy comes from God, Who never changes.
The second habit of joyfulness is to “pray without ceasing.” We should constantly pray, talking to God and letting our requests be made known. When we pray, and God answers, that results in joy for us.
The third habit of happiness we must practice is giving thanks. We must express our gratitude to God. Whining and complaining rob us of our joy and will lead to a loss of faith. It is the result of focusing on the problems instead of the promises of God. Giving thanks fixes our focus. It causes us to dwell on the things that are good more than the bad things.
You can be a joyful Christian, even if your circumstances are sad. But for that to happen, you must follow God’s instructions. As you build the habits of rejoicing, praying, and giving thanks, you will find that God will keep His promise and give you His joy, a joy that no one can take away from you.