The year 2020 started with a whole lot of excitement for everybody, so many prophecies have been given earlier to us and we were all ready to take the year by the horn and do all God will have us do in it. The fact that it is the beginning of another decade takes the excitement to a whole new level.

It's quite saddening that in less than three months into this glorious year we have been looking forward to, there is a report of a virus known to be responsible for killing people in their thousands. Whatever might be the origin of the virus is not up for debate today, but how can we best handle this pandemic situation that has put the whole world on hold is what we will be looking at.

A lot is happening all over the world due to this pandemic, people are dying, others are getting depressed and others are contemplating or committing suicide because of how affected they are with the aftermath of the situation.

People are losing their jobs, others are receiving pay-cut and some are not even been paid at all and still, we still have to keep surviving against all the odds.

Keep Choosing Joy.

While we might not know why all these seem to be happening and it seems our lives aren’t going exactly as we planned it at the beginning of the year, but in the midst of it all, keep choosing joy.

Why we have to keep choosing Joy is because it is a choice. We have the choice to choose between joy and the spirit of heaviness, and it is so glaring that there is so much heaviness everywhere. Even if you aren’t directly affected by the pandemic, the heaviness in the air just has a way of rubbing off on you if you’ll allow it.

Were you looking forward to graduating this year, but with the situation of things, it’s beginning to look like your graduation this year is a big joke. Keep choosing Joy.

Were you already thinking of hosting a program somewhere and the lockdown seems just be affecting the way you have things all mapped out? Keep choosing joy.

Were you supposed to start work in another office but you can’t even do that because of the situation in the world? Keep choosing Joy.

You can choose to be moody about what isn’t working or you can choose to be joyful irrespective of all going on around.

Everyone is experiencing the effects of the pandemic in one way or the other, while there is little we can do about what is going on the outside, but we can do a lot in controlling how we react to it and how we allow it affect us.

                                                        

Things You Can Do To Keep Your Heart Joyful

                                                            

Set Your Heart On The Father’s Love

The pandemic is not as a result of God’s punishment on us, and while the pandemic might have the whole world literally turned inside out, it is not in any way indicating that the Father doesn’t love us anymore.

You are still deeply loved by the father.

If there is anything you can keep banking on during this time, then it is God’s love.

 

Even When You Can’t See It, All things work together for good.

Romans 8:28 NLT       

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.

I know this is a scripture preachers often quote when things aren’t going as planned or when they can’t see how the current situation will end, but indeed keeping this thought in mind is for our own good.

I believe that by the time this pandemic will be over, we will through the help of God have become wiser and better, and we will come out with a resolve to live life better than we have been living it.

We might not understand how all these means good, but in the end, we will see the good it was doing for us.

God has all things figured out, and it is going to be in your favor. He is working for you and not against you.

 

Guard Your Heart

This isn’t the time to just let any news keep coming into your heart. You have known almost all you need to know about the virus; it’s time to guard your heart. Do not allow bad news linger around you. You can’t stay joyful when you keep following the increase in the number of dead people around.

Don’t allow bad news.

Be careful of the thoughts you allow to take root in your heart.

Keep confessing positive things only.

Don’t lose your heart.

 

Create Out Time To Study God’s Word.

In a time like this, the word of God is a succor from everything going on in life, there is little or no good news anywhere again, but we rejoice because there is plenty of good news for us in the scriptures, there are so many good things that God has promised us in His Word, and while we might not be able to trust the health sector, God can be trusted because he always comes through on his word.

Create out time to feast on the word and keep warring with the words God has given you and that which He will give you.

Keep choosing Joy in spite of all the happenings around, we will come out of this entire situation better and with our faith increased.

Talk To A Friend

There are times when this sense of helplessness/hopelessness just comes your way and then it feels so overwhelming. The best of us also have our days.

When things like that happen, that might be a good time to talk to a friend. Just hearing the voice of a friend over the phone can be all you need for that weight of heaviness to be pulled off your shoulders.

Do not underestimate the power of a good community/friends. Have a friend or two who can bring you out of whatever pit you find yourself slipping into.

And when you are talking to that friend, be as sincere as possible.

 

Become Better

Fill in the time you have in your hands with things that are worthwhile. Remember that an idle hand is the devil’s workshop.

This is a time to do those things you have been rescheduling for a long time. Find out what God would have you focus on in this season and time and follow them through.

There is a level of satisfaction that comes when you are doing the things assigned to you per time, find out what they are and start walking in it.

When all of these is over, there will be a new normal; make sure a new you will be coming out new too.

 

All of these will soon be over, Keep Choosing Joy!

Let me end with this scripture.

2 Cor 4:16

So I am not giving up. How could I! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on me, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace.