The Priority of Remaining Joyful
Joy.
A tiny three-letter word that encompasses so much of what our lives as Christians ought to be marked by but often seems so evasive. Joy-less-ness is, sadly, more prevalent and prominent among Christians who homeschool than joy. Is there a solution?
First, we need to honestly admit that a lifestyle of home education comes at a cost; the daily grind often strips away our joy as it chips away at our energy. Our to-do lists get longer and our time gets shorter and we become less joyful. But if we are willing to admit, to ourselves and to others, that we live with a daily grind rather than trying to live Pinterest-worthy, picture-perfect lives as homeschoolers, then we are halfway to winning the battle against joylessness.
And second, we need to stop believing the lie we so often tell ourselves… the lie that the real reason we are lacking joy is due to the difficult and challenging season of life in which we find ourselves. I promise you, that is simply not the truth. Listen, my fellow homeschooling mamas, from the very first wave of morning sickness until the day your youngest child graduates and flies off into adulthood, there is no end to the seasons that can become “joy stealers” if we let them. Don’t succumb to this tactic from the evil one. Stand firm and fight against those feelings of heaviness. Push into joy by doing exactly what Isaiah 12:3 tells us to do!
“Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.” (Isaiah 12:3 KJV)
This never-ending, unshakable joy that we so need as busy homeschooling mothers comes from just one place: the wells of salvation. Jesus is the Living Water – He is the singular source of our salvation. Our sole source of true and lasting joy is Jesus.
If the joy of the Lord truly is your strength, then it only makes sense that the enemy will attempt to steal your joy by stealing your strength. It’s so important to know and understand this fundamental truth! But once you recognize his scheme, you can take a firm stance against it.
Your joy in the Lord is a mighty and powerful weapon. It is a choice gift bestowed upon you by your loving Father. Use that weapon well; fight with it every single day. Be joyful always!
Your children need to see you living in joy. So does your husband. And a lost and hurting world will be blessed by your joy, too.
Lastly, may I encourage you to start each day with a joyful heart? Reset your attitude to one of joy as many times as you need to throughout the day. Make notes in your planner of things that bring you joy as a reminder of how much you truly have to be thankful for. Choose to smile rather than to scowl.
Be joyful, and watch the enemy lose ground in your life. I will say it once more; be joyful always. Be joyful today!
Jan L. Burt is a 25-year homeschooling veteran, mother to five children, and has been happily married to her husband Tony for 28 years. She has a Facebook page (All Things Homeschool) where she shares encouragement and videos with her fellow homeschooling moms. Her current ministry roles include youth ministry with her husband (for the last 11 years), leading a weekly women’s Bible study, attending a women’s Christian leadership meeting of 30 women each week, and working on her Titus 2 discipleship website. She is also the owner/operator of JanLBurt.com and blogs at MomsWhoHomeschool.blogspot.com. She has written for The Old Schoolhouse Magazine and was a product reviewer for TOS for several years. In addition, she is the author of The Homeschooling Mothers Bible Study (available on Amazon) and The Once-A-Year Homeschool Planner (An All-In-One, All-Student, All-Subject Planning System). Her online Bible study site aimed at encouraging Christian women of all walks of life can be found at Titus2DiscipleshipwithJanLBurt.com or on the Titus 2 Discipleship Facebook page. Her newest plans include the launch of a podcast (on her blog & website) in the immediate future.
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