Joy Is a Choice, Not a Circumstance

• By candidasullivan
• July 7, 2025
• No Comments

I used to hate Mondays. I wouldn’t talk to my co-workers until lunch because I was in such a bad mood. Looking back over that period, I realize that my attitude was my problem. It wasn’t my job or the circumstances of my life. I choose every single week to have a bad Monday.

When we always live in anticipation of the future, we fail to enjoy this moment. God never intended for us to complain or to be miserable. He wants us to enjoy our lives. We are the ones, however, who decide what our happiness looks like.

I thought I couldn’t be happy at work. I had created conditions and limitations for my happiness. I told myself that I could only be happy on Fridays and weekends and when everything was going great in my life. At the first sign of trouble, my joy was gone. I complained about everything, even my blessings.

Then, I realized that happiness is a choice. We can decide to be happy or miserable. It is really that simple. If we wait for the perfect conditions to be joyful, we will live miserable lives. We have to decide to be happy right now—this very minute.

Writing in a gratitude journal is one way to set my intentions for the day. When I take a moment to sit down and thank God for all of my blessings, my mind is focused on the good, and I am able to praise God in my heart all day long.

How it must grieve God to bless us abundantly each day and to hear us complain about our blessings. Years ago, I grumbled about going to work without even thanking God for the opportunity to work and for the health to be able to work. I complain about things for which I should be praising my God. This is something that I genuinely want to change. So, today, I will make an effort to continuously look for my blessings. How about you? Will you look for the blessings?

1 Thessalonians 5:18 (KJV)
18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.