😊Encouraging Mondays: Choosing to Rejoice!

😊👋🏼 Good, Blessed Encouraging Mondays, Family, Friends & New Encouragers!

Today’s message is entitled:

 “Choosing to Rejoice”

 📖 SCRIPTURE READING — (NLT)

Psalm 118:24

“This is the day the LORD has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.”

💛 ENCOURAGING MONDAYS REFLECTION

“Joy Is a Choice”

Family…

God is inviting us to understand something deeper about rejoicing.

Rejoicing is not something we do only when things feel good.

It is something we choose—no matter what the day looks like.

This is not about perfection.This is about posture.

The Lord is gently reminding us that joy is not based on circumstances.

It is rooted in Him.

Because if rejoicing depended on everything going right…

Most people would never rejoice.

😊 But God’s presence brings a joy that is available even when:

• the day doesn’t go as planned

• the situation hasn’t changed

• the pressure still feels real

💛 Choosing to rejoice doesn’t mean ignoring reality.

It means recognizing:

 “God is still present in this moment.”

And sometimes, that choice is small—but powerful:

 choosing gratitude instead of complaint choosing trust instead of frustration choosing peace instead of panic

Rejoicing is not pretending.

It is deciding:

 “God, I still see You—even here.”

 ENCOURAGING THOUGHT FOR TODAY

If you’ve been feeling:

• frustrated by how things are going• discouraged because things aren’t changing• emotionally off before your day even gets going

Pause and remember:

Your joy is not controlled by your situation.Your peace is not dependent on perfect conditions.Your day is not without purpose.

God is still speaking.God is still drawing.God is still walking with you.

And you can choose to rejoice—even now.

 💛 ENCOURAGING ACTION

So what does this look like in your everyday life?

 When something small irritates you—Instead of reacting immediately, pause and say: “God, help me choose peace in this moment.”

 When your day starts going differently than you expected—Pause and shift your mindset: “Lord, I may not like this, but I trust that You are still with me in it.”

 When you catch yourself complaining—Pause and replace it with one statement of gratitude:“God, thank You for something good in this day.”

 When your emotions feel off and you don’t feel joyful—Be honest and say:“Lord, I don’t feel it right now, but I choose to stay connected to You.”

You don’t have to force a feeling.

Just choose a response.

Choose one moment today to shift from reaction to rejoicing.

That’s where the change begins.

 🍎 TEMPLE CARE CHECK-IN

This journey is not about guilt or extremes.

It’s about awareness, stewardship, and grace.

You may be:

• consistent

• restarting

• adjusting

• learning

• observing

And all of it still counts.

This week let’s connect joy to how we move through our day physically.

 Choose ONE way to shift your energy when your mood feels low:

• step outside for fresh air instead of staying inside

• stretch your body instead of sitting in tension

• drink water instead of immediately reaching for something else

• take a short walk to reset your mindset

Your body and your mind are connected.

Sometimes shifting your body helps shift your perspective.

And in those moments, you can still choose joy.

🙏🏼 CLOSING PRAYER

Lord,

Thank You for Your presence, Your patience, and Your light.

Bring our hearts into alignment with You.

Shine on every place that needs clarity, healing, and renewal.

Teach us how to rejoice—not only when things are going well, but in every part of our day.

Help us to choose peace over frustration, gratitude over complaint, and trust over worry.

Remind us that our joy comes from You—not from our circumstances.

Guide our thoughts. Steady our emotions. And help us to stay connected to You throughout the day.

In Jesus’ powerful, majestic name, we praise and we pray, Amen.

 💛 DAILY PROCLAMATION

Before we close, I want to invite you—only if you feel led—to say a daily proclamation with me.

This is the proclamation I return to daily. Not out of perfection, but out of surrender.

From Survival to Surrender — My Daily Proclamation

God, today I stop negotiating with You. I stop hiding parts of my life behind excuses, wounds, and fear. I stop managing sin instead of surrendering it. I stop calling survival “strength” when it is really exhaustion.

I release every attachment that feels good but pulls me away from truth. I let go of relationships, habits, and cycles that soothe me temporarily but cost me spiritually. I acknowledge what I already know: what does not align with You cannot heal me.

Today, I surrender control. I surrender comfort. I surrender timing. I surrender the false intimacy I’ve used to avoid true wholeness.

I choose alignment over appetite. Obedience over urgency. Healing over hiding.

God, I no longer want to survive — I want to live whole. I invite You into every area I’ve kept guarded, delayed, or divided. Lead my life. Heal my heart. Reorder my desires.

From this moment forward, I choose surrender —

not because I am weak,

but because You are strong.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

 CLOSING BLESSING

💞 Much love for you all!

😊 Have an amazingly Blessed day and week. 

 🎧 STAY CONNECTED WITH ENCOURAGING MONDAYS

Encouraging Mondays is more than a message —it’s a digital ministry and growing community rooted in faith, reflection, and peaceful transformation.

Website — https://encouragingmondays.comLinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawna-stately-853771390YouTube — http://www.youtube.com/@EncouragingMondaysPodcast — https://open.spotify.com/show/3pT2RcBNOKpa8A2vuYIJ4W

Wherever you connect, may God’s peace meet you there.

💛 CONTINUE THE JOURNEY

If today’s message encouraged you, remember that choosing to rejoice is a daily practice—not a one-time decision.

If you’re walking through a difficult season and learning how to trust God in the middle of it, my newest book, From Pain to Purpose: Finding Strength, Stability, and Purpose Through Christ, was written to encourage believers seeking God’s healing, peace, and direction.

You can also find additional encouragement through the Encouraging Mondays Newsletter, weekly devotionals, Temple Care resources, Teen Fridays, Children’s Corner, and other faith-centered resources designed to strengthen both the heart and mind.

Visit: EncouragingMondays.com

No matter where you are on your journey, keep growing, keep trusting, and keep drawing near to God.