JOY, where are you?
Brrrrr, it is cold in Florida. REALLY Cold! Some people are excited about the colder weather, other Floridians such as myself, are not so enthusiastic. I love to be inside when it is cold, wrapped up in my favorite blanket…nice and cozy. My goal is to stay as warm and as comfortable as possible. But today, I had to go out. As I headed out to noon prayer, all bundled up because it was less than 50 degrees, I was dreading being in the elements. To top it off, it was wet outside. Who likes to be cold and wet, unless you’re doing something fun like skiing? I digress. But today, I got the chance to wear my rain boots. And that excited me! Why? Because when I wear my rain boots, I have fun. I can step in puddles with no worry of getting wet. I feel like a kid again. The simple act of stepping in a puddle fills me with joy!
Stepping in puddles. making splashes. feeling free…fills me with so much joy!
Please don’t judge me. I am mature 😉
But, what I learned from splashing in puddles is that when you have on the right gear and right perspective, you can be free! You can splash, you can jump, you can feel like a kid again, with no concern of the elements. And in that you WILL find JOY.
In the real world, we can’t go around splashing in puddles to find joy. We have kids to raise, work to perform, mouths to feed, to-do lists to check off. We may get a glimpse of joy as we go about our day, but how do we live a life FILLED with JOY?
LIVING A JOY FILLED LIFE
God’s word is filled with promises for joy.
“For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit…” Romans 14:17
“The prospect of the righteous is joy, but the hopes of the wicked come to nothing.” Proverbs 10:28
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23
God’s word says there is no law against the things that come from His Spirit. JOY is part of the fruit of the Spirit of God. So, if I allow myself to be led by the Spirit and not by my flesh, I will then begin to experience and see more fruit manifest in my life. The key to living a joy filled life: Search for the Spirit of God and let the Spirit come alive in you. As you begin to allow the Spirit to lead you and guide you, the fruit of the Spirit will become more evident in your everyday life. You will find that as you go about your daily routine the little things you used to look over will begin to affect you differently. The puddle you once avoided, will become the puddle you seek out. You will have a life that is filled with joy.
Joy is not circumstantial. Joy is not dependent on anything but God. That is why we can even count our trials as pure joy, like James tells us to do in James 1:2-4.
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. “
No matter what elements you are in, whether it be a season of torrential downpour or a season of bright and sunny days, we, as believers, can live a life filled with joy. It’s about your perspective, your trust in God’s word. If you truly believe that as your faith is tested and you persevere, you will come out on the other side “mature and complete, not lacking anything,” then, your perspective of trials and tribulations will be changed. You will be able to consider your trials as pure joy because you know in the end it will work for your benefit (you won’t lack anything) and that is exciting. Talk about a joy filled life! When it’s good, joy comes easy. And now with this new perspective, when it’s tough, you can still count it all joy! Wow, that’s a win-win situation. I’m all in! What about you?
I challenge you to find joy in the puddles of life.
This is a new year. Some things will be left behind, but some things will seem to stay the same. I challenge to change you how you perceive the hills and valleys of life. Finding joy is not impossible because all things are possible with God; it simply takes having the right perspective. Seek the Spirit of God and the fruit of His Spirit will be evident in your life. So, the next time you see a puddle, jump in and remember to count it all joy, for the joy of the Lord is your strength!
