Happy New Years Family!

Well, if you’ve been following our post, you know we started a three-part series “Joy” & you may be wondering about part three. Well, before I could share joy something happened that made me realize that sharing joy isn’t always easy. That led me to write this prequel of the events that have kept me from sharing joy with you.

After I handed part three off for final proofreading, I received some unanticipated feedback, and doubt came along with it. Maybe you’ve experienced a similar situation. You’re blessed in some way, you’ve overcome a challenge, or you are navigating difficulty. You have an opportunity to share your story and...

If you, like me, missed it, there should be a flashing yellow light going off in your head at the first sign of doubt! Especially when it comes to sharing your testimony. Why, because the first trick we see the enemy use in the Bible is doubt. (Gen. 3:1)

So with one email, I missed the flashing yellow and forgot that it does not mean speed up!

Instead, I began struggling to edit the post. I prayed for guidance, silence. I finally passed the post onto Jannie without telling her about the feedback I’d received. Her comments were positive. She mentioned one thing the proofer said and told me to let go, or I’d get stuck. I should have been encouraged, but I got stuck, I focused on her one point that matched the proofer.

I lost focus (Matt 14:30), and I sank into silence.

There are plenty of examples of good silence in the Bible. But that is not what I did. You see, God is working out an area of my life where the enemy uses silence to his advantage. And when I lost focus, I severed the connection and returned to my will/way of handling a familiar situation.

But here’s the thing. Although it looks & feels like the same situation all over again. I am not the same person I was the last time I was in this place. (And neither are you.)

Personal disclosure: doubt & silence are areas God is working on in my life. So, I have to live surrendered to Him when I encounter them. How? Well, one way is by acknowledging the truth of my situation to myself and to those I trust around me (accountability) instead of running or hiding. In faith, my surrender is to:

stay connected & draw closer to God,
turn toward the thing that scares me,
accept the consequence (and there were some) of my silence, and
get back on track moving forward

The good news is that when I surrender to God, I regain focus and His strength through the power of the Holy Spirit to accomplish my task, to achieve my goal, to handle the consequences, and to share my joy with others.

Now, this may not be your exact situation, the thing that keeps you from sharing joy with others. But whatever your situation, remember the enemy is real, and he has no desire for any Christian to live surrendered, and he certainly doesn’t want us to share our joy, blessings or experiences to encourage others.

This experience reminded me that God created us to be in relationship with one another. Yes, we are better together, but we are also stronger together. Standing alone can leave us lonely and vulnerable, and that can make us an easy, unsuspecting target.

Did you know your silence can be used by the enemy as a force multiplier to disrupt not only your life but the lives and relationships around you?

I cannot promise I won’t go silent again like I said God is working on me, but I am surrendered. Living surrendered doesn’t make me immune in this area. Instead, I’ve noticed a greater awareness of that still small voice. It takes less time to recognize the pitfall, yes, even if I’m already in it. And, I refocus and return quicker.

My joy? My Father in Heaven NEVER gives up on me, or You!

So what do you need to stop running from and or face so that you can share joy? Post your comments below.

And now, here, is Part 3: Share Joy

And in case you missed them here is Part: 1 Find Joy and Part: 2 Choose Joy

Prequel to Share Joy