Decide

Decide: come to a resolution in the mind as a result of consideration; make a choice

One of my favorite words ever is decide.

I hadn’t thought much about it, but a friend commented that she was surprised that I hadn’t used it yet for the Word of the Week, so I decided it was time to share.

If you’ve read any of my blogs, you’ll know that I’ve struggled with depression. And in one of my worst moments, I felt like God kind of deposited this word in my soul to help cope. 

In this moment in my life, I felt like I was, in a way, drowning. There was so much going on, I was struggling so much, I wasn’t happy, everything was negative, etc. etc.

It was hard.

And then while spending time in God’s Word, I decided I was going to choose joy. 

I have a whole blog post dedicated to this, and if you’re interested you can jump over to the Everyday Joy blog and check it out.

But what it boils down to is these two things: 

joy is not derived and determined based on the circumstances in our lives; joy comes from the Lord.

And joy is a choice

Because we’re so reliant on our emotions, we let ourselves be swayed by depression, anxiety, or whatever it is for you.

But we shouldn’t let our emotions be determined by what’s going on around us; instead, we should let the Man inside of us steer our emotions.

And while it might seem hard to do, know that you have a choice.

When you begin to feel anxiety or depression creep up on you, instead of letting it stay you can say, “No, I choose joy. I choose peace.”

And with that declaration, remind yourself of His promises. 

But I chose “decide” as my word because while it means to make a choice, it also means “come to a resolution in the mind as a result of consideration.”

A resolution is a firm decision to do something, and to be determined. 

So this week I encourage you to decide — make a firm decision — to pull yourself out of depression, anxiety, or overwhelming feelings.

Decide to pursue a relationship with God.

Decide to finally do that thing you’ve been putting off.

Don’t let anything stop you; DECIDE now.

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Maddisen Sauls is the smile and voice behind the Everyday Joy blog as well as the author of the Word of the Week posts and the editor of by leaps and bounds. Throughout her life, Maddisen has worked as a reporter for small town newspapers, a School Age and Preschool teacher, and has acquired her ministerial license. 

An avid book reader and lover of the written word, Maddisen is passionate about using her favorite medium to reach the lost and the hurting, and to offer encouragement and hope to those struggling through life. 

Following her battle with depression, Maddisen has made it her mission to help other people through this journey and to bring joy to the lives of the people around her. 

You can find Maddisen on Instagram @maddisen.paige