Choose Joy

What does the word joy mean to you?  Is is a noun or a verb?  Maybe it's both?  I will tell you, it's both.  Though, when you think of the word joy, what comes to mind?  Do you think joy means to simply be happy all the time?  Why do you think joy is a fruit of the Spirit but happiness isn't?  These are questions to think about really.  I looked it up in the dictionary just for the sake of it, but I would prefer to say what God thinks about it.  He wrote about joy long before Webster did.  (For all who wonder who that is, just a name of a English dictionary.)  

Look at the picture here.  There  is a reason we sing Joy to the World.  Christmas we celebrate the Savior's birth, but I hope we do more than celebrate.  I hope we can say we rejoice in His birth, death and resurrection daily.  Jesus did come down from His heavenly throne for us.  Because of His amazing love, we can live a life with Him, and have the reassurance of eternal life if we have chosen to accept Him into our lives, and confess our sins to Him.  He is the answer to everything we need, and He is the reason why we have joy.  Even when times are hard, we can still choose joy and we should.  Choosing joy doesn't mean that you slap a smile on your face 24/7 and are happy all the time.  When trials come, it's not wrong to have grief and pain because of it.  However, when you have that true joy in your heart that only Jesus can give, and focus on  that, and focus on the hope, and reassurance that comes from Him, a strong sense of peace comes over us.  The peace of knowing that no matter what, Christ will walk us through.  

There's an old saying in life, that you either look at the glass half full, or you look at it half empty.  To be honest I was never really a fan of hearing that.  Usually I needed to though.  I want to give you another challenge though.  Whether you are struggling with some sort of hardship now, or the next time you do, turn those doubts, fears, sadness, loneliness, worry, grief, bitterness, and whatever other down emotion you may be having, into prayer and give all your concerns to God.  Let Him fill you with the joy only He can give.  Let Him comfort you in a way that only He can.  God loves you.  When you are in the storms in life, God isn't far away on the shore, He's right there in the boat with you.  He knows your pain even better than you do.  Let Him carry you and walk besides you.

This Christmas, focus on the true meaning.  Never lose focus on why we celebrate this joyous season.  I know that so often the season can be hard for many of you because of loss and heartaches in your life.  I struggle with it myself.  When we fix our eyes on Jesus though, He does give us the strength we need to carry on.

So no matter what, choose joy.  There is always something to be joyful about.  The greatest Gift of all, loves you.  He loves you more than you can possibly imagine.  He collects every tear in a bottle. For God to hold onto every tear, really means something.  He really wants to be your comfort. Your strength.  Your absolute everything.  He's your Heavenly Father.  He knows the number of hairs on your head, and not a one of them falls off without His knowing.  Let Him surround you.  He truly is the answer. There is not one materialistic thing in this world that can satisfy your needs.  Even if you have everything you could possibly want, you will never have the true joy in your heart.  Only Jesus Christ can fill that void in your heart.  Once you focus on Him, your life will never be the same.

Giving Thanks

This week the United States celebrates Thanksgiving Day.  Many people spend the day with their families and eat until they can't get another bite in their mouths.  Growing up, I would usually go to my grandparents house for Thanksgiving with the rest of my family after the Thanksgiving church service.  I think about it though and I want to be thankful more than once a year. In fact we should be thankful on a constant basis.  God requires that we show Him gratitude for all He has done.  No matter what country you are from, you can celebrate Thanksgiving because we should always be giving thanks. Not just when things are going well but in all things, we should be. We should worship the Lord with thanksgiving.

I know that there's countless people who are hurting and not feeling very thankful right now.  Maybe you lost your job and you are struggling to get by each day.  Maybe you are feeling a bit lost and not sure what Gof has in store for you.  The doctor may have come back with your test results, only to tell you the news you have been dreading.  Maybe you have lost loved ones this year and really don't feel like celebrating anything because it's just too painful.  The tragedies in the shootings again this year were horrific.  Thousands more lives lost or changed forever because of violence.  The hurricanes this year has destroyed homes and many were killed.  The eakrthquake that occurred in the Middle East, yet another devastation.  Maybe you are reading this and you are one of the people affected by these tragedies, or something else that has really been painful and a devastating blow to your life.

You may be asking me through your computer screen, how can I say to be thankful when it hurts.  I have to be honest with you, I have asked that question many times in my life.  I have lost dear loved ones at a young age in my life, including my own father.  I have battled different medical challenges throughout my life.  But I have so much to be thankful for.  No matter what we go through in life, there's always something that is positive.  You are now asking me,... "Are you kidding me?!"  Allow me to give you a little story of when my dad had his heart attack and was in and out of hospitals....

When my dad was critical and we really didn't know if he was going to pull through, we were out of state and nowhere near home.  Even so, the body of Christ surrounded us.  They took care of us when we needed it and they visited us and prayed over us and for us regularly.  In spite of all of that was going on, my faith was strengthened and my relationship with my family and church family grew tighter and we pressed forward together with the help of our Heavenly Father.  Not only that but people were watching us and strangers came up to us to say that they would be praying for us.  God was touching lives through our hardship.  Not only was this so but God never let us go. He was with us and He is still with us every step of the way and He does give us strength.

I know that there's so much hurt in this world.  But I also know that God wants to walk you through whatever you are going through.  One of my favorite songs (I have countless favorites but I have always loved music.) is Through it All.

I’ve had many tears and sorrows,
I’ve had questions for tomorrow,
there’s been times I didn’t know right from wrong.
But in every situation,
God gave me blessed consolation,
that my trials come to only make me strong

Through it all,
through it all,
I’ve learned to trust in Jesus,
I’ve learned to trust in God.
Through it all,

through it all,
I’ve learned to depend upon His Word.

I’ve been to lots of places,
I’ve seen a lot of faces,
there’s been times I felt so all alone.
But in my lonely hours,
yes, those precious lonely hours,
Jesus lets me know that I was His own

(chorus)

I thank God for the mountains,
and I thank Him for the valleys,
I thank Him for the storms He brought me through
For if I’d never had a problem,
I wouldn’t know God could solve them
I’d never know what faith in God could do.
(Chorus)

I can testify to every word in this song.  It's so true that in our hardship we are strengthened through God's power in us.  However we have to depend upon God and His Word daily.  God doesn't force Himself upon us, He wants us to desire to come to Him and give Him our burdens.  God loves you!  Like a parent who comforts their child when they hurt, God comforts us. We are His children.  He created you and you are His most precious creation.  You can depend upon Him through it all.
You may not think you have anything to be thankful for this year, or maybe you are beyond thankful because you have had many blessings come your way, whatever your situation may be, know this, because of God's grace and everlasting love, He is all that you need.  No matter what.