Hey sweet friend,
How do you cultivate joy? In the previous post, I talked about how God is the ultimate Gardener – the Holy Spirit plants the seeds and produces fruit in us. But we still have an active part to play! We’re called to keep in step with the Spirit. We work in the gardens of our hearts to water the seeds and pull out the weeds.
So, the seeds of joy are planted. Let’s water them.
I like to have a visual. When I think of cultivating joy, I think of growing a beautiful sunflower, one of my favorite flowers. If joy were a flower, what would it look like to you – a sweet little daisy, a delicate pink rose, or a spring tulip?
What do you see?
Picture a small garden plot and under the soil are your flower seeds. Maybe you even have a couple of buds that have sprung up.
Imagine yourself kneeling in the dirt, pouring water carefully over your soil. As you check how your buds are growing, you notice a few weeds. You reach down and grasp the little leaves and pull the weeds out, carefully smoothing the soil over.
As we go through this series and talk about ways of cultivating joy in our lives, see your buds growing taller, leaves unfurling, and petals softly blooming.
Watering the Seeds
In the last post, I defined joy as a fruit of the Spirit: Joy is an emotional response – it can include happiness, contentment, delight – that comes from knowing that we have everything thing we need, no matter what our external circumstances are. We have Jesus.
Christian joy is something internal. It doesn’t depend on our external circumstances, but in feeling content, happy, and cared for in the love of Jesus. Since joy is based on internal circumstances, this is something we can change! We are in control of our mindset. It’s not easy if you struggle with anxiety, depression, or another mental illness. But small, intentional habits help and can lead to a mindset shift.
This mindset shift is what adds fertilizer to our soil to help our joy grow.
Jesus said,
Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing… These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.
– John 15:5,11, ESV
Without abiding with Jesus, we can’t expect our joy to truly grow. We need Jesus in our mind, heart, and soul every single day.
Scripture Cards
A small habit I’ve started to help me feel Jesus’ presence every morning is using Scripture Cards.
When was the last time you used flashcards? Maybe you dismiss them because it brings up flashbacks to third grade math equation flashcards (*shudder*).
As a science major in college, I used flashcards to memorize biology terms or chemistry equations. I recently used TONS of flashcards at Seminary to learn New Testament Greek and memorize Scripture passages in Greek.
I realized that just like I was being tested on the information I studied on flashcards, I am also being spiritually tested every day. We all are. Using flashcards to “study” Scripture every morning has become an awesome way to rest in Jesus at the start of the day. I hope it can be for you too!
Setting Up Your Cards:
1. Get a stack of 3×5 index cards – I like the lined ones because I can’t write in a straight line otherwise 😊 If you want to write in a pretty calligraphy or add doodles, think about using the blank index cards instead.
2. Choose your Scripture passages.
I want to be careful to say that we do have to be thoughtful about not “cherry picking” Scripture by taking verses out of context.
But, what you want to do is think of the Bible passages that encourage you, that bring you peace, that make you feel Jesus’ love very present.
Here are examples of encouraging verses that I have on my cards:
- He yearns jealously over the spirit he has made to dwell in us. – James 4:5
- There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. – Romans 8:1
- Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. – Matthew 11:28-29
- From the end of the earth I call to you when my heart is faint. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I, for you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the enemy. – Psalm 61:2-3
- See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. – 1 John 3:1
- So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. – 2 Corinthians 4:16
- For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” – Romans 8:15
- The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. – Philippians 4:5-6
Just typing these verses out fills me up with joy! It is so amazing to have a God who adopts us, gives us rest, protects us, renews us, hears our anxiety-filled prayers, and yearns for us. Can’t you feel the love of Jesus in these verses?
3. Write your Scripture and the reference on the card.
Using your cards:
1. Every morning, read through your cards. Do it whether you wake up feeling energized and happy or you want to snooze your alarm and go back to bed. You want to make it a habit so that your thoughts are dwelling on Jesus every morning. Read them out LOUD, not just in your head – something about verbalizing the words helps them reach your heart in a different way.
2. Keep your cards somewhere where you will see them every day. In James Clear’s book, Atomic Habits, he says that first rule of making a habit easier is to make it obvious. We want to abide in Jesus so we want to make this a reliable habit.
Making it obvious could mean keeping your cards next to your bed where your phone is, on your dresser next to your makeup, or on the counter next to your coffee maker or morning tea. You want them somewhere where you can incorporate this as a simple habit.
As you focus your thoughts every morning on the Word and feel God’s love for you by using Scripture Cards, you will feel yourself growing in joy in the morning as you get ready for your day.
Let me know what you think about this exercise below!
