Don't Forget the Joy! by Lourie Arrigo

Once I decided that I was going to walk by the Word of God and do my best to make His Word final, I believe that was the most important decision I’ve ever made.

Not too long after that, I decided that no matter what happened, whether I felt like it or not, I would try my best to walk in love. Because the Bible clearly says “faith worketh by love.” (Galatians 5:6) It won’t work any other way.

Those two decisions—to operate by faith in the Word of God and to walk in love—are the two most important decisions I’ve ever made in my life.

Then recently, God revealed there was something I’d been leaving out. It was the force of joy! I heard within my “inner man” that I should just walk by faith and love and just leave joy asleep in my spirit. It’s too important. I soon came to realize that joy is an essential part of a life of victory. Without it, I might have an occasional triumph, but I wouldn’t be able to sustain them. They’d quickly slip away.

I learned that joy is what gives us the strength (Nehemiah 8:10) to hold steady when the circumstances get rough. Joy gives us the ability to laugh in the devil’s face when he starts trying to knock us off our faith. It gives us a kind of staying power that will make us winners over and over again.

We need to make a commitment to God that we’re going to walk, not only in faith and in love but also in joy. We have to make it a point to rejoice in the Lord always...and there won’t be anything the devil can do or say to steal our victory!

Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.

– Philippians 4:4