We make thousands of small decisions daily, my friend.

Should I get out of bed?
Should I work?
Should I cook breakfast?
Should I shower?
Should I drive safely?
Should I respond to this text?
How should I respond to my husband?
When should I respond to my whining child?

Opportunities to decide come relentlessly. We make so many in a day that we develop habits to overcome the overwhelm of the constant thinking required for all of these decisions. We don’t consciously think through every single decision. At some point, we made a choice in the past, and it went well, so we settled into following those ruts. That way we no longer have the stress of having to remake that decision every single time.

Our habits help us cope with the sheer magnitude of the everyday.

Basically, we set our lives on auto-pilot, and we do this despite the fact that our habits (pre-decided decisions) change our lives.

The truth is this:
Our habits don’t just change our lives; they are our lives.

Why Our Daily Decisions Matter

The point I’m getting to is this: the thing about decisions (and habits), despite having so many to make, is that each one is precious.

As mamas and wives, we cultivate a litany of habits within each day-to-day moment that affect our children’s and husband’s hearts and determine the joy-factor in our home. Our habits (and each preceding decision) cultivate the atmosphere of our family life.

Our daily decisions look like this:

Will I be in a good mood today?
Will I be filled with worry?
Will I speak life?
Will I serve my family with a grateful spirit?
Will I grow weary of doing good?
Will I pray about everything?
Will I spend time in God’s Word?
Will I give my husband the affection he craves?
Will I cultivate the “aroma of Christ” in my home?
Will I discipline Biblically?
Will I lay down my own needs for others?
Will I take time to rest so that I can be filled for serving?
Will I treat the child in front of me as more important than the people in my phone?
Will I react with anger and frustration, or with patience for the teaching opportunity at hand?

The list goes on and on, Mama. And the truth is this: how we choose to answer each of these questions every time they arise is how we begin choosing to bring Jesus—and thus JOY—into every situation.

What It Means to “Choose Joy”

“Choose Joy” became a popular tagline a few years ago (and even a tattoo!). I think sometimes we can hear or read something so much that it begins to lose its power.

But what I’m saying here is deeper than a phrase on a coffee mug. We have the opportunity to decide that we want joy, need joy, and already have full access to joy in each and every moment of our day.

We have the opportunity to make the decision for joy so often that we ultimately have the ability to cultivate a habit of joy—in all circumstances.

And this opportunity to choose joy exists because we can always, always choose Jesus. It’s the radical, habitual choosing of Christ—in every situation—that changes everything.

The Source of Lasting Joy

He is always available to us.

We can always pray.
We can always praise.
We can always lay our burdens at the foot of the cross.

And He will always redeem, always restore, always redirect.

The joy of Christ beams right through worn-out places. So even when we are worn to a thin fray, He is available to fill every hole and thusly… SO. IS. JOY.

“To live is Christ,” my friends.

Practical Ways to Decide for Joy

So what does it look like to decide to be joy-filled—to such an extent that joy becomes an unshakeable habit?

It looks like this:

Deciding to put time with Jesus Christ and God’s Word first in your heart (even if you can’t make it first in the day… because babies).
Deciding to worship God daily with all of your being—no matter the hurt or pain.
Deciding to trust God—without needing to understand why—fully and deeply.
Deciding to lay the phone down and be truly present.
Deciding to do the work of disciplining your children Biblically rather than being lazy.
Deciding to walk in freedom instead of under the heavy cloud of Mommy guilt.
Deciding to look for moments to be mentally present with your loved ones throughout the day (no one is constantly “present,” y’all).
Deciding to order your days wisely, leaving space to breathe and giving your children freedom to thrive.
Deciding to send that affectionate or even playful text message to your husband—then follow through on it, even when you’re tired.
Deciding to choose food that nourishes your body and mind, rather than quick fixes that leave you drained.
Deciding to take 3 deep breaths before correcting your child (or 47… however many it takes).
Deciding to give yourself permission to be OK right now with who you are.
Deciding in advance to have a good day, regardless of the frustrations it may hold.
Deciding to let go of control and lean fully on the only One who has ever truly controlled it all anyway.
Deciding to bring grace into every relationship—choosing to forgive, forget, move on, or let go.

Ultimately, it’s deciding to turn every seemingly small choice in your day into one that cultivates habits of lavish love, radical discipleship, and overwhelming joy in your home.

Building Habits That Last

No one changes overnight. No one becomes the mom or wife they dream of being with the flip of a switch.

That woman you admire who seems to parent so well, stay ultra-organized, or keep her home running like clockwork? That’s not magic.

That is sound decision-making.

What you’re seeing is the culmination of intentionally thinking before acting and deciding to do the thing she may have been ignoring or overlooking—the fruit of well-sown habits.

You’re seeing the outcome of her actively working in her faith, making daily choices that honor God and cultivate a godly atmosphere in her home. (Check out my favorite book about this here.)