Did you know that the word “joy” appears more than 150 times in the Bible? Over two dozen scriptures are dedicated to the importance and power that joy has in our daily lives. Happiness and joy sound the same but there is a difference. Happiness is defined as a state of well-being and contentment, but joy is much more. Joy is a feeling that stays with you. It is not dependent on certain circumstances or moods.
There are many ways that you can express joy – with positive thoughts, a smile, or pleasant words. Don’t wait for circumstances to bring you joy, instead make your own joy and let it act upon the circumstances. Joy can be found when we count our blessings and give thanks for them. If we appreciate even the smallest blessing that comes to us and take nothing for granted, we can then find that we are living in a constant state of joy. If we speak, think and act with joy there is no room for anything else.
God is the source of our joy. On that source we can depend. That source is unchanging and from it all good things flow. People, things and situations are great when all is well, but they all can change at any given moment. Therefore, we cannot put our spiritual dependence on them but put that dependence on God, our true source of joy.
At times, we tend to see only the negative things around us, but joy surrounds us even in our darkest moments. Life happens. For plants to grow they must endure a lot of rain. So, when rain falls in your life think of it as helping you grow and strengthening your character. As the sun breaks thru a rainbow will soon appear.
Children are so good at finding ways to have fun. Have you ever seen your child just take an empty cardboard box and turn it into a car or a fort? Unleash that imaginative child inside you. Have fun, laugh at crazy things, smile until your cheeks hurt, sing or hum throughout the day, write a kind note to someone, say “hello” to a stranger and strike-up a conversation. The feeling you get back is joy.
There are many ways to bring joy to others. When you do things to make others happy it is a selfless act. One of the best ways to bring joy to others is to spend time with them. It may require you to give something else up to accomplish this, but if it brightens someone else’s day, it is worth it. When we bring joy to others, we always find joy ourselves.
For 25 years I was blessed to have a job where I was constantly helping others – with shelter, food, housing, clothing, etc. There were days when my heart was so full of joy, I felt like it would explode. This past weekend, I took time to thank God for all the blessings in my life. I was fortunate to have some special time with family and friends, spend time outside and enjoy the beauty of nature, sing and praise God at church, and thank God for my husband, children, grandchildren, family, friends, my home, and my life.
I once read “God has placed the exclamation point of His love on your life. Do something to reflect that exclamation point of loving Him back by celebrating this day He has made!” One of my favorite Bible verses is Psalm 118:24, “This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” Gal. 5:22 says “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, kindness, goodness, faithfulness….” I encourage you to consider what simple acts you can do to make a day special for you and those you love. Place an exclamation point on that day! Feel the power of joy.
By Cheryl Carter
