J-O-Y Down In My Heart
J O Y.
The definition of joy is "a feeling of great pleasure and happiness." Joy that comes from the Lord, however, is not only happiness. Joy that comes from the Lord is so refreshing. It is genuine, and beautiful. God makes it very clear that joy is important. I mean, it's a Fruit of the Spirit and that's a big deal. The fruit of the spirit is not something people just have. It takes effort and growth to attain them. To be truthful, I have found that it is so much easier to dwell on the negative things in life rather than being positive. THIS is why I have to pray every single day that the Lord would give me the JOY that can only come from Him!
Being negative is exhausting. Honestly. It may not take as much effort to be negative, but it will drain you spiritually, emotionally, and even physically. Instead of having a pessimistic view about everything that goes on, try praying and seeking to develop the fruit of joy in your life. Yes, everyone struggles through things, and it is okay to cry, or get frustrated at times. It's normal to do that, but it is so vital that we try to set our minds on what is good. In James 1, we are told to "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness." (ESV) As we walk with Jesus, there will be times when our faith is tested, and this is something to be thankful for, & joyful about. When we are tested, we have the opportunity to grow closer to the Lord & deepen our faith, as we learn to trust in His plan for our lives.
The joy that comes from God is inexpressible, glorious joy. (1 Peter 1:8) It isn't fleeting. It can last as long as you pray to have it in your life--as long as you ask the Lord to fill you up. I think it is so simple to get wrapped up in what life can bring. As flawed, worldly-minded human beings, we are often blinded to what we have been blessed with. I think that it is key to count your blessing in order to have a joyful spirit. There is so much greatness that comes from a cheerful heart. Proverbs 17:22 says "A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones." (ESV)
So, my question is, what good comes from being negative?
*insert crickets chirping*
That's right, nothing. If you think about it, this life doesn't revolve around ourselves. We live to bring glory and honor to Christ. When we are in a negative state of mind, we are being selfish. Selfishness is, quite frankly, disgusting. Everyone has dealt with it at some point in their life, and I personally have to tell myself often to "be selfless, not selfish." Choosing to be filled with joy from Jesus can prevent that selfish, negative, nasty perspective. Because Jesus lives in us, our goal should be to reach out to the lost, especially in our actions. When we walk around with a bad attitude about everything, we aren't being inviting to the lost. In fact, they probably wouldn't want anything to do with the God that we claim to love and pursue. I believe that this is the main reason we ought to have joy.
With that being said, I challenge you to memorize one of my favorite verses, which is 1 Thessalonians 5:16. It isn't that difficult, trust me. It goes like this:
"Rejoice always."
This is such a good verse to keep in mind (for me, this is especially true on Mondays).
I think of the song I learned when I was little, that says "I've got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart. Down in my heart to stay!" That song has great meaning. It may be a little redundant, but that's not a bad thing, as you reflect on the words that are used. Notice it says "to stay" and not "to go away and possibly come back." The joy that comes from God is something we need to always desire to have.
Instead of living a life of negativity, R E J O I C E!!! Friends, I pray for you as you read this. I pray you would take this to heart, and ask for the Lord to fill you up with joy. I pray you will fight the negativity, and overcome it with what we have been encouraged to do in the scriptures.
-Gracie
Being negative is exhausting. Honestly. It may not take as much effort to be negative, but it will drain you spiritually, emotionally, and even physically. Instead of having a pessimistic view about everything that goes on, try praying and seeking to develop the fruit of joy in your life. Yes, everyone struggles through things, and it is okay to cry, or get frustrated at times. It's normal to do that, but it is so vital that we try to set our minds on what is good. In James 1, we are told to "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness." (ESV) As we walk with Jesus, there will be times when our faith is tested, and this is something to be thankful for, & joyful about. When we are tested, we have the opportunity to grow closer to the Lord & deepen our faith, as we learn to trust in His plan for our lives.
The joy that comes from God is inexpressible, glorious joy. (1 Peter 1:8) It isn't fleeting. It can last as long as you pray to have it in your life--as long as you ask the Lord to fill you up. I think it is so simple to get wrapped up in what life can bring. As flawed, worldly-minded human beings, we are often blinded to what we have been blessed with. I think that it is key to count your blessing in order to have a joyful spirit. There is so much greatness that comes from a cheerful heart. Proverbs 17:22 says "A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones." (ESV)
So, my question is, what good comes from being negative?
*insert crickets chirping*
That's right, nothing. If you think about it, this life doesn't revolve around ourselves. We live to bring glory and honor to Christ. When we are in a negative state of mind, we are being selfish. Selfishness is, quite frankly, disgusting. Everyone has dealt with it at some point in their life, and I personally have to tell myself often to "be selfless, not selfish." Choosing to be filled with joy from Jesus can prevent that selfish, negative, nasty perspective. Because Jesus lives in us, our goal should be to reach out to the lost, especially in our actions. When we walk around with a bad attitude about everything, we aren't being inviting to the lost. In fact, they probably wouldn't want anything to do with the God that we claim to love and pursue. I believe that this is the main reason we ought to have joy.
With that being said, I challenge you to memorize one of my favorite verses, which is 1 Thessalonians 5:16. It isn't that difficult, trust me. It goes like this:
"Rejoice always."
This is such a good verse to keep in mind (for me, this is especially true on Mondays).
I think of the song I learned when I was little, that says "I've got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart. Down in my heart to stay!" That song has great meaning. It may be a little redundant, but that's not a bad thing, as you reflect on the words that are used. Notice it says "to stay" and not "to go away and possibly come back." The joy that comes from God is something we need to always desire to have.
Instead of living a life of negativity, R E J O I C E!!! Friends, I pray for you as you read this. I pray you would take this to heart, and ask for the Lord to fill you up with joy. I pray you will fight the negativity, and overcome it with what we have been encouraged to do in the scriptures.
-Gracie
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