choices.

Who knew that such a small word could be so terrifying; so powerful. Six little letters that determine your future. From the very beginning of time choice has been the very reason for destruction and heartache. It’s been used as a weapon, it’s been manipulated, it’s been made without proper understanding nor evidence. 

One simple choice can make or break your career, your relationships, or your life. 

My pastor from Impact Church preached a sermon series called, “Laugh a Little.” The second week he focused on Joy. I’m not going to re-preach his sermon because he obviously did a better job than I ever could, but I couldn’t help but pull some nuggets of truth from it because it resonated so much within my heart. 

*Here is his complete sermon, Laugh a Little: Joy if you would like to watch it later:

https://www.miamiimpact.church/watch/

That Sunday I was having a terrible day. My emotions were everywhere. It is even a miracle I was able to receive that morning. I had been struggling mentally and was physically in a lot of pain. Sundays are not a rest day for me being an Admin Pastor. It’s hard work to get two services going. 

And all my pastors say, “YEP!” 

So as I was listening to the sermon, I suddenly dropped everything I was doing and just stared at the emptiness right in front of me and thought... I choose to have joy. 

I choose to have joy. It’s my choice. 

You see, this entire time I was waiting on God to give me the “joy of the Lord”... In reality I could’ve had it a looooong time ago. He had already given it to me, I was the one that chose not to partake in it. 

Let’s look at Habakkuk 3:17-19 shall we?

17 Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls,

18 yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Saviour.

19 The Sovereign LORD is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights.

...”YET I will rejoice...” 

The prophet Habakkuk was pleading and praying to God for the nation Israel. Israel was going through a hard time during this verse. They had made a few wrong choices and were now reaping the harvest. What they were going through is famine status, and yet, still choosing joy.

The word YET signifies a choice that Habakkuk made. Instead of looking at his current circumstances or at his surroundings, he chose to make a choice and rejoice in the Lord. 

“Joy is not dependent on what is happening around us. Joy is the evidence of God in our lives.” - Pastor Johnny Olivardia. 

You see, we can choose to live in pain. We can choose to live in hatred. We can choose to live in bitterness, in unforgiveness, in agony. We can choose to live with a victim mindset-always questioning why bad things happen to us. We can choose to compare ourselves to our brothers and sisters and we can choose to be jealous. We can choose to believe the report of the doctor and choose to end our lives because it’s just too much. 

OR we can CHOOSE life. We can choose love. We can choose strength. We can choose peace. We can choose forgiveness. We can choose joy! 

If you are like me-waiting on God to grant you the golden ticket of joy or peace or whatever it may be, let me tell you that He has already given it to you. God’s presence gives us what we need to make the proper choices in our lives. His presence gives us wisdom. It gives us a change of perspective. It gives us the ability to pause and think instead of reacting emotionally. 

How many of us has made wrong decisions based off reacting emotionally to a situation? 

Lord knows I have. Sigh. 

Habakkuk made the right choice. He chose to rejoice even when there was absolutely nothing around him to rejoice about. He and his people were going through hell. Maybe you relate to him? Maybe you see your life right now where you are and see nothing to rejoice about? 

Are you pursuing happiness or God? Happiness is fleeting, temporary, fickle. Happiness depends on external conditions and what is currently HAPP-ening. Joy, however, is an attitude. It is a choice. It solely depends on the God inside us. We are pursuing the wrong thing. When we choose to pursue God, we receive his joy, his wisdom, his love, and his peace to endure all circumstances. 

Maybe you’ve been through the ringer. Life hasn’t treated you kindly. With everything that is going on in our country right now, it’s hard to rejoice in the Lord when we look around. 

YET, I will rejoice! 

Though people may have hurt you, choose: YET, I will rejoice! Though you may have lost your job, choose: YET, I will rejoice! Though people may not listen and continue to run you over, choose: YET, I will rejoice! 

The choice is ours to make. Even from the Garden of Eden, we had a choice. Nothing has changed since then. So, what’ll it be? What is your decision? 

Will you continue to choose to linger in your pain-in your emotionally charged reactions, or will you choose Christ? Our joy is based solely off of Him. Everything we desire is found in Him. He desires to have an encounter with you right now. He wants to invade your life and trade your sorrows for joy. 

When you feel like no one listens to you, He does. When you’re alone, He is right beside you. When you’re in agony, He catches every tear. He sees you. He hurts for you. Trade your pain for His everlasting joy and peace. Hand it over. 

It’s your choice. So what’ll it be?