Choosing Joy
Day 3 of tough stuff. How's it sitting with you so far? Stepped on any toes yet? I've certainly stepped on my own, that's for sure! I'd love to hear what the Lord is revealing to you through these conversations. I'm praying these blog posts allow you a moment's breath: like a cup of coffee with an old friend.
Today is something that I'm convicted of, rather often, in fact.
Joy.
A simple, three letter word. One that I want to permeate every fiber of my being. One that I don't choose often enough. I looked it up in a dictionary and the definition was "the emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one desires."
I'm good at finding things to complain about. Someone driving too slow? Complain. Having a lot of homework? Complain. Not wanting to go somewhere, because of the responsibility that it entails? Complain.
Complain, complain, complain. Whew! Who likes to hang around someone like that? Probably no one.
Too often, I am that person.
Yesterday, I was headed to my internship at a local elementary school with a group of preschoolers. I was stuck in traffic, frustrated that I hadn't left earlier and frustrated that everyone had the sheer audacity to be headed to work at the same time I was. During rush hour.
Silly, isn't it? Yet my mood was so incredibly sour!
I was listening to worship music on Spotify, and the song "Joy" by the Housefires came on. With a heavy and frustrated heart, I smirked. Yeah, right. Filled with joy on a day like today. Okay. Sure. Whatever.
As I stewed in my frustration, I almost felt like Jesus tapped me on the shoulder!
You are choosing frustration over My joy for you, right now. There is joy in this moment if you are willing to take it.You are choosing to live into your emotions instead of My goodness right now.
Ouch.
The song continued to play as I sat with that comment on my heart. When I choose joy, I am displacing frustration and anger. When I choose joy, I am allowing the Lord to flood my heart and I am able to laugh at difficult situations.
Friends, God's heart for you is to live in joy.
Joy, in my mind, is a lot more permanent than happiness. Happiness is temporal because it is based on the situations that are happening around me; joy is God-given perspective to face difficult situations. To walk through the fire and not be burned.
The Lord is inviting you to take the joy He is offering you today! Take it with me, and let's see where that joy brings us!
The song "Joy" by Housefires has ministered to me immensely. It is posted below. Give it a listen!
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