The latter part of Nehemiah 8:10 says, "for the joy of the Lord is your strength." When you think about it, that's all you need. Joy is defined as a feeling of great pleasure and happiness. After putting some thought into it, who else could give you that great pleasure and happiness? I honestly don't want anyone else to give me joy or happiness. The reason is because we all know that people tend to want to take things back if something doesn't go their way or if they have an attitude about something. I don't want their joy...I'm good with Jesus' joy, He wants me to have it!
Yes, I do have joy when I'm spending time with my significant other, my siblings, my family and friends but I don't expect them to give me joy. I don't expect them to make me happy or to put a smile on my face. That has to come from within, that has to be from someone that is so much more powerful than any of us. I'm sure God looks down from heaven ready to hand out joy to any of us that maybe lacking it at some point in our lives. I deem joy as a blessing from God. When everything else around me is not going the way I want it to or when everyone else around me has let me down, I appreciate that God looks down and gives me that joy that I long for, the joy that I didn't even realize that I needed at that time.
There are times that I will say to myself, "this joy that I have, the world didn't give it and the world can't take it away". If I sit long enough and think about it, then I wouldn't allow things to worry me or get the best of me. God's joy overshadows so much, so much that I/we need to not even let the little things steal my/our joy. What things have you allowed to steal your joy? I know you didn't mean it, I didn't mean to allow things to steal mine either but it happens, unfortunately. But guess what, it's a learning process...a daily process.
Have you stolen someone else's joy? Yes, that happens too...I've done it. I know I have. It's usually with something that I have said or done. Not really meaning too or did I mean to do that? Either way, I don't want to steal anyone else's joy. That's there joy and they should have it. I have my own joy that I don't want stolen.
Happy-Happy, Joy-Joy!! Every time I say that or hear that phrase, it puts a smile on my face. It invokes happiness in my heart, my mind and on my face. My heart also gets happy. My heart gets joyful. As I sat and had dinner with my two sisters and my oldest niece on this evening, I was happy and full of joy. It wasn't because the dinner was good or because our conversations were full of laughter but because of the joy that God gave to me. I'm so grateful that they are here visiting me and you would think that because they came that of course, I would be happy and full of joy. But honestly, it's not about them...it's not even about me. I could be sitting here in my apartment feeling depressed, sad, even angry while they are here because I'm thinking about certain things or what someone said to me. But instead, God has given me joy and happiness and for that I am grateful.
If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands!! Happy-Happy, Joy-Joy!!
Yes, I do have joy when I'm spending time with my significant other, my siblings, my family and friends but I don't expect them to give me joy. I don't expect them to make me happy or to put a smile on my face. That has to come from within, that has to be from someone that is so much more powerful than any of us. I'm sure God looks down from heaven ready to hand out joy to any of us that maybe lacking it at some point in our lives. I deem joy as a blessing from God. When everything else around me is not going the way I want it to or when everyone else around me has let me down, I appreciate that God looks down and gives me that joy that I long for, the joy that I didn't even realize that I needed at that time.
There are times that I will say to myself, "this joy that I have, the world didn't give it and the world can't take it away". If I sit long enough and think about it, then I wouldn't allow things to worry me or get the best of me. God's joy overshadows so much, so much that I/we need to not even let the little things steal my/our joy. What things have you allowed to steal your joy? I know you didn't mean it, I didn't mean to allow things to steal mine either but it happens, unfortunately. But guess what, it's a learning process...a daily process.
Have you stolen someone else's joy? Yes, that happens too...I've done it. I know I have. It's usually with something that I have said or done. Not really meaning too or did I mean to do that? Either way, I don't want to steal anyone else's joy. That's there joy and they should have it. I have my own joy that I don't want stolen.
Happy-Happy, Joy-Joy!! Every time I say that or hear that phrase, it puts a smile on my face. It invokes happiness in my heart, my mind and on my face. My heart also gets happy. My heart gets joyful. As I sat and had dinner with my two sisters and my oldest niece on this evening, I was happy and full of joy. It wasn't because the dinner was good or because our conversations were full of laughter but because of the joy that God gave to me. I'm so grateful that they are here visiting me and you would think that because they came that of course, I would be happy and full of joy. But honestly, it's not about them...it's not even about me. I could be sitting here in my apartment feeling depressed, sad, even angry while they are here because I'm thinking about certain things or what someone said to me. But instead, God has given me joy and happiness and for that I am grateful.
If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands!! Happy-Happy, Joy-Joy!!
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