Week Three - Joy

Nick Saban, the legendary Alabama football coach, built a dynasty not by chasing championships, but by committing to the process - to daily faithfulness in the small and unseen things. For me, this kind of process-oriented thinking doesn’t come naturally.

I get fixated on outcomes - how things should look, how people should respond, and the results I expect. When life refuses to bend to those expectations, my heart grows weary and I enter an inner spiral of doubt, one that holds me captive to my own limitations. In the middle of this struggle, I’m reminded of the truth found in Isaiah 9:3 - a promise given to God’s people in the midst of their darkness:

“You have enlarged the nation and increased its joy.

The people have rejoiced before you as they rejoice at harvest time

and as they rejoice when dividing spoils.”

In the face of fear, darkness, and unanswered questions, God’s invitation is simple and straightforward: look to the one who brings the increase of joy. Not inward at my failures. Not outward at my circumstances. But upward - to the Lord of the Harvest.

Christ - not my effort, success, or discipline - is Lord overall.

The results of my life, my ministry, and my family are in God’s hands.

Joy does not come from chasing results, but from following Jesus and trusting God’s providential care. Joy comes from embracing the one who was born in a manger to be Lord of both the process and the outcome. This is the good news of Christmas!