Make the Choice

Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands! Serve the Lord with gladness; come before His presence with singing. Psalm 100:1-2 (NKJV)

As a paramedic, some of the terrible accident scenes I visited were hard to forget. I saw many of my coworkers give in to despair, lose their marriages or fall into addictions. And I don’t blame them—without Christ, I wouldn’t have been able to keep my mind together either.

It was during that time that I learned the power of joy. Some days I came home exhausted from work, but I’d force myself to get up and dance with my young kids to their favourite song. Or I would find a quiet place alone and shout out, “God, You’re awesome! I put my faith in You!”

You see, joy pushes back fear and discouragement. Philippians 4:4 (NKJV) tells us to “rejoice in the Lord always” and Psalm 100:1 (KJV) says to “make a joyful noise unto the Lord.” It doesn’t add, “only when you feel like it.” Does this mean God wants us to fake happiness? No, He’s teaching us the way to access His joy—by choosing to rejoice.

It reminds me of my grandpa’s old Model T. To start the engine, you’d have to crank it again and again until it finally came to life. Joy is the same way. You start rejoicing in faith—whether you feel like it or not—and pretty soon, joy rises within you.

If it looks like there’s nothing to rejoice about right now, go back and thank God for what He’s done in the past. As you choose to build your life on a foundation of joy, you’ll begin to experience God’s presence and peace—even in the middle of life’s storms.