Oh Joy!

This post was written on January 5th, 2009 on an old personal blog of mine. When I wrote this post, my husband and I (along with our then 8 month old son) were living in our empty house that was on the market, sleeping on a queen sized air mattress and keeping our clothes in plastic bins on the floor, all because we were awaiting military orders. Our circumstances have changed, and we now have new inconveniences to deal with, (who doesn't have a few complaints about their life?) but the message from the lesson I learned remains the same, and I'd like to share it with you today!



(some of my thoughts after "home-church", including some answers to my previous ponderings)



Don't wait for it! Having joy is a decision, one that you have to make out of faith!





In a way, being joyful is the fruit of having faith.



"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." Galatians 5:22



The dictionary defines joy as follows:

rejoice: feel happiness or joy
the emotion of great happiness
gladden: make glad or happy
something or someone that provides a source of happiness; "a joy to behold"; "the pleasure of his company"; "the new car is a delight"
I would say that the "'someone'" who provides a 'source of happiness'" would be a proper definition of the joy that we have as followers of Christ. He cannot be taken away from us, therefore, our source of joy is always present. To have joy in the Lord, regardless of our circumstances, is entirely possible, and is in fact what God wants from us. Joy is a spiritual gift, but we must first accept it.



I used to think that in order to be joyful all the time, things would have to be perfect and going my way all the time, otherwise, I would just be "faking" joy.



Now I have learned that true joy exists even and especially during difficult and painful times! Being joyful regardless of your circumstances is the command that we have been given and will reflect a truly faithful heart.



"You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever." Psalm 16:11



This doesn't mean that we should be callous regarding people who are suffering and experiencing pain or who are simply lost. In fact, we should be ready to give the reason for our joy to anyone who asks, and it should be done in a humble way that allows gentle interaction. Joy can allow you to weep over a loss, or smile at the sunshine. It is not walking around oblivious to everything negative in the world because 'we've got it made in Heaven, and God is in control'. Our impact and potential-to-impact is significant, and God expects us to take advantage of each opportunity He presents, tastefully. They should wonder about our smile and optimistic attitude despite the economy, or whatever is ailing us at the moment, and we should be ready to tell them the reason for our joy... because our God is in control of everything and will not ever abandon us!

 "But I trust in your unfailing love, my heart rejoices in your
salvation." Psalm 13:5

I felt sort of fake at being "happy" about my current living situation, and I suppose it was fake to pretend that I loved not having my bed or couch! But true joy comes from God, and does not rely on physical provisions. We should count our blessings and be thankful for them, but realize that we do not deserve any of them, then when they are taken away, we will have the appropriate attitude of humility and resounding joy!



For more encouragement on this topic, I highly recommend Pastor Ray Bentley's sermon titled "Joy Brings Strength"





Join me as I embark on this journey of life with a joyful attitude!