The cycle seems to repeat itself when you have chronic pain. Wake, take medicine, hurt, do as little as possible (as not to cause a big flair), sleep, repeat. This can been depressing honestly when you find yourself consumed by avoiding pain. Here are 3 simple ways to find joy in the journey.
The first way to find joy in the journey is to find a simple rhythm. Each morning wake up with a prayer of trust in God. None of us knows what the day will bring us. We do know that we can trust the one who brings the day to us. When we begin our day by trusting in Him, then no matter what we face we be able to find joy. God’s plan for us is good. When we believe Romans 8:28 as a promise, we know that all things God works for the good for those who love Him and who have been called according to His purpose.
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
Romans 8:28
It does not mean that all things will be good for us as Christians. It does promise that He will work out good in our situations. We are called to love Him. Our lights are to shine for Him even in our hardest moments we are to shine for Him.
The Second Simple Way to Find Joy in the Journey
In order to shine our light for Christ in our hard days we have to know Him. The best way to know Christ is to spend time in His Word. We have prayed to trust God today. We must read what His Word tells us is truth before we go into this world. There are so many negatives that a person with chronic pain faces not to mention what the world has to throw at us. When we begin our day in His Word then we are dressed in the armor of God with the joy needed for our journey.
Daily study in God’s Word doesn’t have to be daunting. To find simple joy in your journey look for a plan that lets you spend consistent time with God. Check out my friend Katie Orr has the Bible Study Hub. The Bible Study Boulevard is a great way for you to find joy in your journey.
Gratitude Helps Your Attitude
The third simple way to find joy in your journey is by ending your day with gratitude. Take a minute to journal or pray aloud a prayer of gratitude for the journey of the day. As a chronic illness patient sufferer you may be thinking this sounds a bit much to be thankful for the day of suffering, but I would encourage you to make a list of three things you can find to be grateful for each day. Sometimes we can be glad that our pressure points didn’t hurt as much or that we walked around the block then other days we can choose to be grateful that we slept through the night. When we make a gratitude list then we find that our attitude finds its way to being more joyful.
The three simple ways to find joy in your journey are to find a simple rhythm of trusting God in the day, to grow in your relationship by digging into the Word, and lastly by having an attitude of gratitude. When you take time to do these three things each day you will notice that even in the journey of chronic illness you will find joy. How do you find joy in your journey?