Joy Is My Strategy, Not a Side Effect

Monday, July 7, 2025

“Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength!” — Nehemiah 8:10 (NLT)

Welcome to the Week

Let’s begin this week by taking a deep breath and letting go of any pressure to perform. This week is not about striving, fixing, or achieving more. It’s about receiving something beautiful that God already designed for you—joy.

Joy is not a luxury. It is not something we get to feel only when everything in life lines up perfectly. According to God’s Word, joy is essential. Our theme for the week is this powerful truth: “God Made You for Joy.” And our anchor scripture is found in Nehemiah 8:10:

“The joy of the Lord is your strength.”

This verse reminds us that our true strength is not found in how much we can carry, how many things we can juggle, or how well we appear to keep it all together. Real strength comes from joy. And not just any joy—but the kind that is rooted in the Lord, flowing from His presence and His delight in us.

Sometimes we treat joy as if it’s a reward we get after everything works out. But what if joy is actually a strategy God has given us while we are still in the middle of the process? What if joy is not a byproduct of breakthrough—but the very posture that helps bring breakthrough to life?

If you’ve felt heavy, burnt out, disconnected, or numb—this week is an invitation to come home to joy.

Let’s journey together with open hearts. Let’s invite God to show us how to live from a place of delight instead of duty. Let’s remember that joy isn’t something we chase—it’s something we were created for.

You were made for joy.

Not someday. Not when everything is perfect.

But today. Right here. Right now.

And it’s time to receive it.

Let’s begin.

When God Commands Celebration in the Middle of Conviction

Nehemiah 8:10 isn’t a quiet encouragement whispered into the ears of people who’ve already healed—it’s a divine interruption, a thunderclap in the middle of sorrow. The Israelites had just rediscovered the Book of the Law after decades of rebellion and exile. They were spiritually disoriented, emotionally raw, and undone by the truth of how far they had drifted from God’s ways. Their first response wasn’t praise—it was grief. Deep, gut-level grief.

They wept. And honestly? It would have made sense for God to ask them to fast, mourn, or repent longer. But instead, God speaks through Nehemiah with a radically different tone. A counter-cultural invitation. He says:

"Don't mourn. Celebrate. Go eat something rich. Drink something sweet. Share what you have with people who don’t. This day is holy. And the joy of the Lord is your strength."

Can we pause and feel how wild that is?

God calls joy holy.

Not hustle. Not striving. Not guilt-soaked repentance.

Joy.

Not joy that pretends the pain isn’t real.

Not joy that’s waiting for everything to be “back to normal.”

But anchored, embodied joy that knows exactly how far you’ve come, exactly what’s still broken—and celebrates anyway. That’s the joy Nehemiah is talking about. That’s the kind of joy that becomes strength. Not a sparkly Instagram mood. A deep spiritual muscle that carries you forward when everything else says “quit.”

And it’s still the invitation today. Not because you earned it—but because you’re God’s.

Let’s Exhale Together

Let’s just be here for a moment. You don’t have to prove anything right now. You don’t have to be impressive or strong or spiritually "on." You just get to be.

So go ahead and exhale.

Inhale slowly… through your nose.

Now exhale through your mouth like you’re letting go of a breath you forgot you were holding.

Because let’s be real: you probably were holding it.

Maybe not physically, but emotionally. Spiritually. Mentally. Holding space for everyone else. Showing up in the room while quietly carrying the weight of your own questions. Holding your breath through every moment that required you to be “on” when your heart felt undone.

I see you. And I’ve been there.

When was the last time you let yourself laugh without checking if it was the right moment?

When did you last let joy rise up in you without questioning if you were being irresponsible, naive, or insensitive for smiling in a storm?

If I’ve learned anything walking with powerhouse women—leaders, mamas, pastors, creatives—it’s this: we’ve been conditioned to feel guilty for feeling good. Like joy is indulgent. Like rest is rebellion. Like we have to earn our delight.

But that’s not God’s heart.

That’s a lie dressed in religious clothing.

Sweet friend, surviving with a Christian mask on is not the abundant life Jesus died for.

Joy isn’t a break from transformation—it’s the breath within it. It’s oxygen to your soul. It’s evidence that your spirit is still alive and tender, even when life feels hard.

So before we move on, let me say this loud for your spirit,

You are safe here.

Safe to feel joy.

Safe to open again.

Safe to return to the part of you that remembers how to delight in the goodness of God.

Joy Isn’t an Emotion. It’s an Act of Faith

Let’s linger a little longer in Nehemiah 8. The people were wrecked. Convicted. Their hearts were laid bare. And Nehemiah, filled with the Spirit of God, could have leaned into the grief, extended the lament. But instead, he draws a line in the sand and says, “No. Today is holy. Not because of your shame. But because of your return.”

Then he gives a divine command: “Do not grieve… for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

This wasn’t a pep talk. It was a spiritual reorientation. A divine recalibration.

The Hebrew word for joy here is chedvah—and it doesn’t mean fleeting pleasure or thin happiness. It’s a joy that’s rooted in covenant, in remembrance, in the restoration of identity. It’s the kind of joy that says, “Even though I was lost, I’ve come home. Even though I strayed, I’m still chosen.”

This kind of joy is a discipline. It’s a choice. A return. A reclaiming of who you are and whose you are.

And Jesus continues that thread when He says in John 15:11,

“I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.”

Not halfway. Not temporary. Complete. Whole. Overflowing.

Joy is not the absence of problems. It’s the presence of God.

Joy is the resistance against hopelessness.

Joy is the language of those who believe in resurrection even while they’re still waiting for breakthrough.

And when that kind of joy gets rooted in your identity—not your circumstances—you begin to live from a new strength. Not performative. Not perfection-based. But rooted, real, and fiercely free.

Your Brain and Body Were Made for Joy

Now let’s flip this to how your body processes joy. Because your spirit and your nervous system were designed by the same Creator—and both of them know how to recognize safety.

When you experience joy—authentic, sacred, full-body joy—your brain releases dopamine, the neurochemical that says, “You’re doing something good. Keep going.” It boosts your motivation, your attention span, and your long-term memory. Joy also releases endorphins that relieve pain and increase your sense of well-being. And then there’s oxytocin—the beautiful hormone of connection and belonging. It literally tells your nervous system: You are safe to be seen.

But maybe the most underestimated superpower of joy?

It lowers your cortisol.

That background stress that’s been simmering under your skin—the tightness in your shoulders, the constant sense that something might go wrong—that’s cortisol at work. And joy helps turn the volume down. Not by pretending things are okay. But by reminding your body that even in hard things, you are not alone. You are not abandoned.

And here’s the kicker: just like trauma, joy is stored in the body.

The same places that hold fear and fight also hold laughter and rest.

The same nervous system that shuts down in chaos comes alive in praise.

So when you choose joy—when you dance in your living room or laugh with a friend or pause to soak in a sunrise—you’re not being flaky.

You’re re-training your body to believe in the goodness of God again.

You’re forming new patterns. You’re healing in motion.

Let’s Get Honest With Your Joy Capacity

Can we talk heart-to-heart for a second? Not as coach and client, not even as teacher and student—but just as two women, sitting in the quiet corners of our real lives. Because I want to ask you something I don’t think we ask ourselves enough. Not out loud. Not without flinching.

How much joy are you actually able to hold?

I don’t mean “can you feel joy?”—I mean, can you let yourself stay there? Can you experience delight, peace, celebration, and rest… and not feel like you need to brace yourself for disappointment right after?

Some of us can handle an unbelievable amount of pressure. We’re high-capacity, multi-tasking, always-serving, always-answering women. We’re up early, texting back, checking in, praying for others, building things, solving things, making it happen. But the truth is—we’ve got a very low threshold for joy.

We’re quick to handle chaos, but we freeze when someone says, “I’m proud of you.”

We can plan an event in our sleep, but when someone honors us, we downplay it or deflect it.

We don’t know how to rest without guilt. We don’t know how to be still without anxiety tapping on our shoulders.

That’s not because you’re broken. That’s because somewhere along the way, your nervous system was trained to feel safer in stress than in safety. Somewhere along the way, joy got coded as unfamiliar. Maybe even dangerous. Maybe you learned that good things don’t last. Or that rest makes you lazy. Or that peace is for when the work is done.

But sweet friend—that’s not kingdom thinking. That’s not God’s design. And that’s not your portion.

So let’s reframe the question,

What if joy isn’t what shows up after the breakthrough?

What if joy is the strategy that makes space for the breakthrough to come?

What if joy is the condition, not the consequence?

That changes everything.

Let’s pause right here and let that sink in,

You don’t have to wait to exhale.

You don’t have to finish the list before you’re allowed to laugh.

Joy is not the prize at the end of the tunnel.

Joy is the light that helps you find your way through it.

So I want to walk you through something a little different today. This isn’t another journal prompt you’ll never get to. This is sacred space. A moment to check in with yourself—and tell the truth.

Your Joy Threshold Check-In

I want you to find a quiet moment—maybe right before bed, maybe while sipping tea in the morning, maybe on your lunch break in the car. But take five minutes. Just five. And ask yourself the following:

1. How do I actually respond to joy?

When something good happens—whether it’s a compliment, an open door, or a moment of rest—what’s my gut reaction? Do I receive it with open arms? Or do I tense up? Do I find a way to move past it quickly so I don’t “get my hopes up”?

2. What emotions come up when I slow down?

When I sit in stillness—no emails, no TV, no phone—what do I feel? Do I feel peace? Or do I feel pressure? What surfaces when I give myself permission to just be?

3. What does my body do when someone celebrates me?

Do I breathe deeper, smile, soften? Or do I tense, change the subject, or minimize it?

Now here’s the deeper layer—ask the Holy Spirit gently,

Where did I first learn that joy wasn’t safe?

Let Him bring the memory. Maybe it was subtle. Maybe it was loud.

Maybe it was the time you were excited about something and someone shut it down.

Maybe it was when you felt happy and then got blindsided.

Maybe it’s not one moment—but a lifetime of having to “stay ready” in case everything fell apart.

You’re not making it up. And you’re not overreacting.

This is the unlearning and relearning of joy.

And it starts today.

With honesty.

With breath.

With permission to receive.

So here’s a little declaration I want you to say out loud—even if you whisper it to yourself in the bathroom mirror,

“I am allowed to feel good. I don’t have to earn joy. I was created for joy. And today, I’m open to it showing up—softly, suddenly, steadily.”

Let your nervous system hear that truth. Let your spirit believe it.

Joy is no longer the stranger. It’s home.

Practice Returning to Joy

Now that we’ve opened some heart space, let’s walk into the practice.

This isn’t about doing something cute or checkboxy. This is about engaging your spirit, your body, and your emotions in a way that actually lets joy land—not just pass through.

These practices aren’t one-size-fits-all. They’re invitations. Choose what speaks to you today—and do it like you mean it.

Rewrite Psalm 51:12 In Your Own Words

This isn’t about crafting a perfect prayer—it’s about owning your voice in your own healing.

Here’s what I want you to do,

Find a soft spot to sit. Maybe light a candle. Maybe play soft instrumental worship. Breathe deeply—five times. No rushing.

Then, ask the Holy Spirit,

“God, what’s been blocking my access to joy?”

Wait for the answer. It might come in a word. A picture. A memory. A feeling.

Now, open your journal. And start writing a personal version of Psalm 51:12. Begin with,

“Restore to me the joy of Your salvation…”

And let it flow.

Here’s a sample if you need help getting started,

“Restore to me the joy I buried under responsibility.

Restore to me the lightness I forgot how to hold.

Bring back the sparkle in my worship. The freedom in my laughter.

Make joy feel like home again, God.”

Let it be your sacred offering. You and God. No filter. No edits.

You were not created to grind your way through the day and collapse into bed exhausted and joyless.

You were created to live, laugh, breathe, delight, and rest in the love of a Father who rejoices over you.

And He’s not waiting for you to get it together—He’s offering joy right now, right here.

So go ahead. Choose one thing today. Just one and let joy back in.

Faith-Based Affirmations

• I was created for joy. It is not a reward—it is a rhythm I return to.

• My nervous system is learning to rest in safety, not brace for disappointment.

• Joy is my God-given strategy for wholeness, presence, and power.

Reflection Questions

1. What part of me believes I have to earn joy before I can feel it?

2. Where did I learn that peace only comes after the work is done?

3. What would shift in my leadership, home, or body if I practiced joy as a lifestyle, not an escape?

Prayer Targets

• Holy Spirit, reveal the places I’ve numbed joy in the name of responsibility.

• Jesus, teach me how to let joy be a daily rhythm—not a rare reward.

• God, restore my ability to feel delight, and make joy my strength again.

Song of the Day

Let this be more than a song. Let it be your atmosphere today. Play it in the background while cooking, praying, or journaling. Let the joy in this song move through your breath, your bones, and your being. Let it remind you: joy is not optional—it’s holy strategy.

Let’s connect. Not just in the comments, not just with a double tap. I want to know what’s been on your heart. Let’s talk, dream out loud, pray if you need it, laugh if you feel like it, just real space for real conversation.

Listen to Meditation

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