Unlocking Joy

Can you relate to the following statistics?

• A majority of people in ministry constantly fight depression.
• 70% of people in ministry have a lower self-image now than when they first started.

And this is just the beginning. Being is ministry, whether you are a pastor or any other ministry leader, can be difficult and it can often steal your joy. But it doesn’t have to.

Let me (Gaylyn) share a personal story. What should have been one of the happiest times of my life turned into one of the most difficult periods. My second son, Daniel, was born with pneumonia and many abnormalities. Things like this only happened to other people, I thought. After dozens of tests, six surgeries, and examinations from twenty-five pediatric specialists, the doctors told us Daniel’s brain was smaller than usual. But they couldn’t predict how it would affect his life—he could be normal or like a vegetable.

For three agonizing months, tears constantly blurred my eyes. Questions raged in my head. How could a loving God do this to me or my helpless baby? It wasn’t fair! What about the future? Shock, anger, guilt, despair, depression, and self-pity crushed me.

When Daniel developed pneumonia for the fifth time, the doctor told us he didn’t have long to live. Mixed emotions flooded my heart. Sadness combined with an indescribable peace and joy overwhelmed me. I had trusted the doctors to heal Daniel, but now realized that neither they nor I could do anything to save him. Finally, I redirected my trust to God and accepted His plan— whether my son would live or die, whether he would be physically or mentally challenged or normal.

Read more in Keys to Joy: How to Unlock God’s Gift of Lasting Happiness.

Excerpted from Unlocking Joy, a free eBook. Click the link to download it today.

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