Joy?
In my article for Heartlight today, I share some observations about joy. I’m looking for your input, so I’d like to ask you the following questions:
What steals your joy?
How do you hang on to your sense of joy?
Why does pursuing Jesus as Lord being you joy?
(Please post your responses to these questions, below!”
I have a little encouragement I always say, :IT’S NOT WHERE I AM, BUT WHERE I AM WITH HIM. Today I have to be more like Jesus, my heart has been crying out to God. My marriage was raised to life because of God’s grace and now there’s attacks on us, me with jealousy towards my husband. I’ve said nasty things to him and I can feel his hurt, through this I must suffer to get closer to God. I believe in my heart that I can be more than a conqueror, this is the joy Christ gives me despite myself, despite my failures and especially at times when panic wants to take over! What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear… Stay blessed
Claudine
25 Feb 08 at 4:47 am
I remember my first trip to Guatemala. The people were so poor but had great joy. They would sit on old benches for 4 hours in church and show tons of love to one another. It seemed like they were doing the things that really matter. We often focus on material things and ourselves. They didn’t have that luxury. They focused on Jesus and each other. Their joy was in the Lord. I’m sure I learned more from them, than they did from me.
Mike Barres
25 Feb 08 at 6:22 am
Keeping Jesus at my center no matter what is happening around me has always kept me on an even keel. When I feel as if I am going to give up I find that if I focus on Him through His Word or by singing praises my joy is fulfilled.Keeping God’s love at the front of my life produces nothing but joy!! The joy of the Lord is my strength!
julie
25 Feb 08 at 6:50 am
I visited Honduras in the fall and although those people didn’t know the luxuries of my life. I mentioned one day that they had all they needed. They had food. Not as much or as varied as we have but they had food. They had shelter – not very nice shelter and probably not good enough for what they needed. Most importantly, they had a saviour!
Terri
25 Feb 08 at 10:22 am
What steals your joy?
I don’t let my joy get stolen. I – like everyone – have rough times; but, that can’t steal my JOY! My JOY belongs in His capable hands! It’s easy to keep, if your focus is right!
How do you hang on to your sense of joy? See above.
Why does pursuing Jesus as Lord being you joy? Because His promises ring true day-in and day-out. The more you pursue Him, the better your understanding of His methods and His perfection.
None of this says, “I always have great days!” It says, instead, “I don’t lose the joy He has given me, moment-by-moment, because I can finally see Him working in my every moment.”
Times, things and life all cause hurtful events; but His joy is ALWAYS abiding in me, because I refuse to trust any person or circumstance – only Him. He gives everything I need.
Matthew V. Cooper
25 Feb 08 at 8:41 pm
I don’t think joy is something we as humans are able to hang on to. Rather, we receive joy in faith as a blessing from God by his faith in us. When we truly seek his love with all our heart and soul and mind we are made to be joyful when we see and hear his truth in everyday happenings in our lives. We receive joy when we give to another of His love that we have been blessed to receive.
It steals my heart to his love and I become joyful when the wisdom of our Lord picks me up out of a valley in my path and sets me on a mountain top. I become joyful when the little boy next door, who can be a holy terror at times, runs up to me to give me a hug and tell me he’s been home whining like a puppy dog cause he missed me while I was gone on an extended vacation, because I know that the time and God’s love from my heart that I’ve shared with him has touched his own heart.
David
25 Feb 08 at 10:26 pm
For me the joy of the Lord is like the amazing grace of his salvation. I don’t really seek it. It creeps up on me, spreads, and often overflows into singing and praising. Worrying about my children and grandchildren is probably the chief thief of my joy at times. Then, in the midst of my worrying, God’s Spirit brings to my mind a promise of Scripture, the fact that he cares far more about my children than I ever can and that he has the power to keep them, a remembrance of times past when he has worked miraculously in their lives. With this bombardment of His assurance and mild rebuke of my lack of faith, my joy wells up and my worry dissipates. It’s amazing!
Barbara Whiteside
26 Feb 08 at 11:00 am