Topic: Don’t Dread – Joyce Meyer Devotional 4 October     2022

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Don’t Dread

– by Joyce Meyer

Let’s face it, sometimes life can be difficult. Not every day is going to be filled with good news or things we like to do.

However, if there was one thing you could do to make every day better, would you do it?

The truth is, God never intends for us to be miserable or have “a horrible day,” even when things aren’t going our way. He wants us to expect good things and stay full of hope, regardless of our circumstances.

And here are two words that will help you to do it: Don’t dread.

What is dread? Dread is simply expecting to have an unpleasant experience—it is the exact opposite of hope.

Without even realizing it, I think a lot of people dread their way through the day. We can dread going to work, dread the traffic jam, dread doing the dishes, doing laundry, cutting the grass, cooking dinner, and on and on.

However, dread can steal our joy and ruin our day. Instead, I encourage you to stop being miserable about stuff you can’t do anything about. Choose to stay happy and let God take care of it!

In every situation, we need to have an attitude that says, “I can do whatever I need to do, and I’m not going to stop enjoying my life, regardless of what is happening. I didn’t plan for this thing, but I know God can work everything out for my good.”

For example, my husband Dave used to get debilitating migraine headaches. If you’ve ever had one, you know how it goes; the headache comes on little by little. So when it first begins, you naturally begin to dread it and think, Oh no, here it goes again!

One day the Lord spoke to Dave’s heart and said, “When you feel those headaches coming on, don’t dread them. You can enjoy your life anyway.”

Romans 8:37 says, Yet amid all these things we are more than conquerors and gain a surpassing victory through him who loved us (AMPC).

This is what the resurrection power of Jesus Christ is all about. It means right in the middle of all these things we are more than conquerors. We don’t have to wait until they are over to enjoy our lives!

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So, Dave started practicing what the Lord showed him. When a migraine would come on, he’d say, “Nope, I’m not going to dread it—I’m going to enjoy my life.” Not long after, he stopped getting the headaches altogether.

Now, I’m not saying it will always make your problems go away. However, choosing to not dread will certainly make life better!

In Psalm 23:4, David says, Yes, though I walk through the [deep, sunless] valley of the shadow of death, I will fear or dread no evil, for You are with me… (AMPC).

David doesn’t just mention fear, but he also includes dread. Why? Because dread is the forerunner of fear, and we should resist it immediately. Success begins with the small stuff.

I’ll never forget years ago when the Lord spoke to my heart and said, “A lot of people are trying to cast out devils when they don’t even have authority over a sink full of dirty dishes.”

Having a victorious life isn’t only about the “big” things in life—it begins with the little things.

The Lord wants us to be able to have success and joy in every area of our lives, and conquering dread is a major part of it. Our choice to have a positive, hopeful attitude can literally make all the difference!

For instance, sometimes we defeat ourselves before the day ever really gets started. We think to ourselves, Oh, it’s laundry day again. Then tomorrow is grocery shopping and cleaning the house. Man, this is just going to be a bad couple of days.

Sure, there will be some things in life that are more difficult or less enjoyable, however they don’t have to make us miserable or ruin our day. The choice is really up to us and the attitude we choose to take.

It’s amazing how we can feel sorry for ourselves and then allow our attitude to ruin a perfectly good day for ourselves and others. Trust me, I know—I was quite good at playing “the martyr” when it came to doing housework.

I would often walk around the house in a huff, mumbling things like, “Well, everyone around here expects me to do everything. Dave goes out and plays golf and the kids make messes. I just cook their meals and clean their dishes and do their laundry. I want to know who cares about me!”

The truth was no one was forcing me to do those things. I chose to do them because I love my family. However, I rarely enjoyed myself because I was so determined to have a negative attitude.

Sound familiar? Your situation may not be about housework, but we’re all tempted to feel sorry for ourselves and dread something at one time or another.

Even when bad or inconvenient things happen to us, we can still choose to respond in a positive way. When we do, we are agreeing with God, because God is always positive.

I encourage you to play “The Glad Game.” What is it? When you’re faced with a negative situation, choose on purpose to look at the potential good!

For instance, if you get stuck in traffic, say “I’m moving slow and running behind, but maybe God is protecting me from an accident that would have occurred if I was going faster.”

This works for any situation, big or small. Even if it’s something as important as losing a job, you can choose to shift your focus to the positive and say, “I may be out of work, but now I have an opportunity to watch God provide me with a better job than I had before!”

The Bible says the Lord [earnestly] waits [expecting, looking, and longing] to be gracious to you…that He may have mercy on you and show lovingkindness to you… (Isaiah 30:18 AMPC).

No matter what life brings your way, God has a plan to make it better—a plan filled with hope and good things.

I encourage you to get in agreement with Him. Approach each day with a positive attitude and choose to not dread.

As you do, I believe you will begin to find joy in every single part of your life.

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