Joy is mine -- and it's staying

Dread.

What is it? Why do I have it? Is it stealing my joy?

Dread does not come from God. In Galatians 5:22-24

It says

“But the fruit of the Spirit is: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”

This declaration does not list dread. This list guides our way to having a fulfilling life and these attributes are from the Holy Spirit. Notice it says fruits of the spirit. So the spirit bears what… these things.

We all have access to them. We all have the enemy’s attack trying to steal them. Just like treasure to a pirate, fruits of the spirit are precious to the Christian.

How do we gain them?

If I were a fruit farmer I would only have access to the fruit by picking the fruit from the tree. In other words, I can only access this fruit by spending time with God. Farmers must water the trees and tend to them by spending time in the field picking the weeds. We must tend to our own field and relationship with God by watering (reading the Bible and seeking God) and picking the weeds (being willing to let go of things that God doesn’t want for our lives).

So I will start to pray and rebuke dread from stealing my joy. My joy is precious and from the Lord.

I will not surrender my joy to dread.

I know my time is stretched thin. I feel the weight of the busy days and endless lists. It’s often when I’m tired, overwhelmed, or simply don’t want to do something that dread seeps in — whispering that it’s too hard, too much, or not worth it.

But the truth is, discipline is a fruit too — it’s part of tending the garden God has given me.

I will root myself in Christ, water my spirit with His truth, and let His fruits flourish in my life.

I will show up, even when it’s hard. I will guard my joy like the treasure it is.

The enemy cannot steal what is nurtured by obedience and protected by the Spirit of God.

Joy is mine — and it's staying.