I'm honored to share a story with you today - one that emerged from the midst of my own trials.
You see, it was just four months after my Parkinson's disease diagnosis that this particular song - I Choose Joy - came to me on April 12, 2019, a gift amidst the challenges I was facing. With a diagnosis like that, and the added burden of vocal cord damage, it would be all too easy to succumb to a self-focused mentality of "poor me" or "why me?" But the utter reality is that we have a choice in how we respond to the circumstances we face.
I know firsthand how easy it is to become consumed by negative thoughts, allowing them to fester and grow like an infection that never heals. It's like becoming the Dead Sea, taking in the debris of "stinking thinking" without ever flushing it out. But I'm here to tell you that God wastes nothing - not our sorrows, not our wounds, not even our failures.
This song, you see, is my attempt at focusing on what is good, right, true, and pure, despite my circumstances. It is a confession of truth to my own soul, a reminder that we get to choose what we think about and how we respond. And my prayer is that as you listen, it will do the same for you.
You know, whatever we choose to focus on, whatever thoughts we put or allow in our minds, that's exactly what we're going to get out of it. It's like the old saying goes - "Garbage in, garbage out." But on the flip side, "Joy in, joy out!”
And that's exactly the approach I'm going to share with you today. You see, there's this powerful verse from Philippians 4:8 that's really become a guiding light for me:
"Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.”
Isn't that just incredible? It's all about taking control of our own thoughts, choosing to focus on what's good, right, and true. Because when we do that, it transforms our entire mindset and outlook…and brings with it joy!
1 Peter 1:3-9 NASB
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to [obtain] an inheritance [which is] imperishable, undefiled, and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in [the] last time. 6 In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, 7 so that the proof of your faith, [being] more precious than gold which perishes though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 8 and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, 9 obtaining as the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
I urge you to choose to walk in joy today - in spite of your circumstances.
Dennis Jernigan
To hear The Dennis Jernigan Podcast version of this blog as well as the song, I Choose Joy, go to https://www.patreon.com/posts/i-choose-joy-114868539
Photo courtesy of https://cdn.pixabay.com/photo/2016/11/29/09/49/blonde-1868815_1280.jpg