Find Your Joy
Photo by Freshh Connection on Unsplash
I don’t have to rehash the problems that our world is facing right now. We can all agree, THIS SUCKS! There are a lot of things we can’t control. There are many unknowns and frustrations. We have all had our lives as normal turned upside down and pulled out from under us.
The situation we are in is serious, but one thing I do know, humans are resilient. I love seeing videos on social media of the creative ways that people are filling their time. These are the people that take a bad situation and try to find the good. They are taking advantage of the rare time we have together as families anymore to do something positive.
We can’t control what is happening in the world, but we can control how we react to it. Yes, we are smack dab in the middle of a tough situation. Now what? COUNT IT ALL JOY! Yep, you read that right - count it ALL joy. James 1:2-3 reads, “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.”
Now, don’t get me wrong, we are not to be joyful BECAUSE of the trial, but we can be joyful in the midst of the trial. The joy that the Bible is talking about comes from the Spirit of God. Therefore, this joy is not a feeling. It doesn’t matter if we FEEL like being joyful. No, this joy goes much deeper. It is the joy that you have when you know that no matter what you are going through, you will be victorious because of Jesus - the “Way Maker,” is working on your behalf.
Joy is a powerful force. the Bible also says in Nehemiah 8:10, “the joy of the Lord is your strength.” Having faith in God, trusting Him, will give you joy. That joy will in turn give you strength to get through the trial we are all facing.
How can you tap into this joy?
Laugh! Many people have turned to comedy during this time. There are some pretty funny memes out there about this whole ordeal. If I need a good laugh, I watch videos of babies laughing. It never fails, I will be laughing in no time!
Laughing is so good for you both physically and mentally. Did you know that your mind can’t tell the difference between a fake laugh and a real one? So, you can start laughing with no emotion tied to it whats-so-ever, and still reap the benefits of a good laugh. Ha Ha
Whatever you do, purpose not to complain about what you can’t change (you can read 5 Ways to Stop Complaining here). Focus your attention on Jesus and… laugh!
Remember that the Greater One is in you. He cares about you and WILL see you through. So go ahead and laugh! It will do your body and mind good!