The Choice

Joy is tough.
Joy is a choice.
Joy does not come easily.

To all of you who don't know, my middle name happens to be Joy. Until a few years ago, Joy was just my middle name and not a decided lifestyle. See, a common misconception people have when they meet me is that I've lived a joyful life free of major hardships. The reality is that I've lived a life filled with greater hardships than most people face in a lifetime, but out of that I've tapped into a deeper flow of God's goodness and joy. 

I'm joyful, not because I have never struggled, but because I've struggled greatly and come out seeing God's work in the midst of it all. 

While preparing for this blog I was researching the different meanings of the word "joy", and let me tell you - there are about a million different definitions (a semi-accurate estimation). Here are some of my favorite definitions:

1.) Joy: The expression or manifestation of such feeling
2.) Joy: An outside expression of rejoicing. 
3.) Joy: Something or someone that provides a source of happiness.

There are 330+ references in the Bible about joy, it's a fairly important concept to grasp. In today's society most people refer to joy and happiness interchangeably. They are both related to one another, but just linking them together as the same thing is downgrading what the Author of the word had in mind when He first created it. 

When people say "The joy of the Lord is my strength!", do they really know the weight of that declaration? When we declare Romans 12:12 "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer", do we know what great task we have laid out ahead of us to walk bodily in?

Let's go back to the definitions of joy and let me try to show you what God showed me. 
Joy is the expression or manifestation of such feeling, an outside expression of rejoicing, something or someone that provides a source of happiness. Our source of happiness is found in Jesus, so our joy is Jesus, and joy is a manifestation of Jesus, an outside expression of rejoicing in who Jesus is. 

When we live joyfully, we outwardly express Jesus. 
When we live joyfully, our source of happiness comes from Jesus living inside of us.
When we live joyfully, we can face tough situations but outwardly rejoice because of Jesus. 

No longer is your happiness based on your circumstances once you have Jesus in your life. You can have a greater happiness known as joy. 

My middle name is not just another name I have to write down when I take standardized tests, it's a call to a lifestyle of expressing the manifestation of who Jesus is in everything that I do. You are called to this lifestyle too, because of the freedom that is found in joy - if the joy of the Lord is your strength, then Jesus is your source of strength. Joy is a choice. 

" Happiness is a symptom of circumstance, Joy is a product of perspective." 
Steven Furtick 

"Consider it pure joy when you face trials of many kinds..."
James 1:2

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Case of the What If's, Sam. I. Am.

Image
This time of year brings many uncertainties for me. Do I really need to study that? I wonder what my grade will be if I make __? Does Santa really exist? So many things to think about. The lame thing about thinking about things so much is that your old familiar friend, Worry, joins in the party. Worry is SUCH as Karen . My Pappy always says "Worrying is like sitting on a rocking chair, it gives you something to do but it doesn't get you anywhere ." Very wise words. So what's my point? Can you guess what one phrase is the most destructible but also the most inspirational? W hat i f. What flippin if. What if I faint in the middle of my performance and everyone sees? What if I stub my toe on the sidewalk and then have to miss class because I have to go by the health center and then it's really embarrassing? ( maybe that was just me ). What if I make a 100 and I'm awesome? Guess where the destructible side of what if came from....did you guess Genesi...
Read more

The Meaninglessness of Motherhood

Image
Motherhood is a great honor and privilege, yet it is also synonymous with servanthood. Every day women are called upon to selflessly meet the needs of their families. Whether they are awake at night nursing a baby, spending their time and money on less-than-grateful teenagers, or preparing meals, moms continuously put others before themselves. - Charles Stanley Last Fall I had been struggling with feelings of guilt and frustration over my current situation as a working mother. I would get up early, get myself ready, get Farryn up and ready for daycare, go to work, leave work way too late, come home and make dinner, then do the bedtime routine, and then work on lesson plans until my eyes couldn't stay awake. I was exhausted and miserable - which made my home miserable ( when momma ain't happy.. .). But I had worked SO hard to get my teaching degree and make something of myself in the education world. One morning on the way to work I heard a voice in my spirit ...
Read more

When God leaves you in Home Depot

Image
Hello world wide web, bloggers, friends, and romans. Oh how I have missed blogging and releasing my inner thoughts and heart. With the help of the cold weather, a heavy heart, and a pumpkin spice latte ( plus free wi-fi) I come to you again. When I was a kid I used to love this time of year because I would help my parents do the fall yard work and go to Home Depot to buy plants and goodies. I remember one time in particular that I was with them at Home Depot walking through the aisles and we passed the paint mixing section. This is a really cool place because you get to see all the paints mixed and poured and it's beautiful to see what the result is. Well as a child I was easily entertained watching things so I got so mesmerized and just stood there for a million minutes ( in kid time ) and watched. When I finally refocused again I realized I didn't see my parents anywhere. Where did they go? Why did they leave me? Were they even in the store anymore? That's how I have fel...
Read more