Where Does Your Strength Come From?

What is the essence of your determination, strength, endurance and just the ability to get up and keep going?

Life is hard. People die. Work is challenging. Health wanes. How do you keep going?

The answer is really simple - joy, happiness and a cheerful and a thankful heart.

However, there’s more to joy than warm feelings. It’s actually medicine for the soul.

Solomon once said: “A happy heart is like good medicine, but a broken spirit drains your strength.” (Proverbs 17:22 NCV)

This verse suggests joy isn’t just a reaction, it’s a resource.

Solomon isn’t being poetic; he’s being practical. A cheerful heart actually heals. When you choose gratitude, laughter, and hope, you're not just improving your mood, you're strengthening your body, renewing your mind, and lifting your spirit.

But the opposite is also true.

A broken spirit drains your strength. Emotional wounds, when ignored, become spiritual and even physical infections. Disappointment, fear, bitterness, they deplete energy, cloud judgment, and rob your joy.

God can see the weight you’re carrying. And He invites you not to ignore your pain, but to let Him into it. Pray to Him and ask the Holy Spirit for help.

Joy isn’t about pretending everything is fine. It’s about anchoring yourself and reminding yourself that God is really good and is watching. Somehow, it sort of makes the hurt go away.

This process is kind of a spiritual discipline. It’s a daily decision to see God’s hand in your life and to trust His heart, and to rejoice in His presence. I know that sounds preachy. But you either believe God is real and watching, or you don’t.

A happy heart isn’t for the simple minded. It’s wise. It’s choosing to be whole even when the world and circumstances tries to break you. It’s medicine, and we should take our dose every day.

So, how are you “really” doing? Have you stopped and asked God to come in? What is going well in your life? Can you see the blessings? Remember, “remembering the good is your resource.”

GOD, help me see the good. Help me count my blessings. Help me be honest and not ignore the challenges, but also surrender them to you. Holy Spirit, help me remember joy is a gift that I can choose. My circumstances don’t control me. You do. IJNIP amen ♥️