Joy Is the Fruit—Obedience Is the Seed

We often think happiness is something we’ll find in a relationship, in a promotion, in a new city. But this Sunday, Dr. GreGory reminded us with power and clarity—happiness doesn’t come from the outside. It’s built from within.

Galatians 6:9 tells us: “Let us not grow weary in well-doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”

Pastor broke it down: Happiness isn’t handed to us—it’s harvested. It’s cultivated through obedience, nurtured by discipline, and rooted in faith. This joy we long for isn’t something we stumble upon—it’s something we grow into. “Happiness,” he said, “is a behavior before it’s ever a feeling.”

It’s how we choose to respond when life isn’t fair. It’s how we decide to believe God even when the outcome hasn’t changed. Happiness is a reflection of maturity—not mood.

And let’s talk about obedience. Hebrews 12:2 says Jesus endured the cross for the joy set before Him. That joy wasn’t present pain—it was future purpose. And sometimes, that’s what God is asking of us: to push through obedience even when it’s uncomfortable, because on the other side is joy.

A New Way to See Dreams

One of the most powerful moments came when Pastor spoke about how God uses dreams to bring healing. Dreams aren’t just flickers of our imagination—they are places where heaven meets our pain. He shared how even in REM sleep, science is catching up with what the Bible has always known: God uses rest to detox emotion, to restore the soul, to speak to our hearts.

“You’re not what happened to you,” Pastor said. “You’re what God is doing through you.”

That line hit deep. We carry so much—disappointment, trauma, the ache of what never was. But through it all, God is doing a work in us. Happiness is no longer about escape. It’s about endurance. It’s not about pretending things don’t hurt. It’s about trusting that God can use every delay, every disappointment, even every undercooked salmon (yes, that story!) to bring us into divine alignment.

Don’t Trash the Dream

God is working even when it doesn’t feel like it. The delays aren’t denial. The rejection isn’t failure. They’re redirection. Don’t let frustration cause you to curse the soil where God is planting something deeper. Don’t throw away the dream because it’s taking too long to grow.

This week, let’s ask better questions—not “Why isn’t it happening yet?” but “What is God doing in me while I wait? Let’s trade “maybe” for maturity. Let’s respond in the Spirit, not in the flesh. Let’s cultivate joy that lasts. Because happiness, it’s an inside job.

Where do you most need to remember that happiness is an inside job?

• In my relationships.
• In my career or finances.
• In my healing process.
• In my daily routine and mindset.