Choosing Joy, Much More than Happiness

I was very convicted yesterday morning at my women's Bible study. We were all asked this question in our workbook...What are the things that steal joy from you? I quickly answered it with some typical answers that a lot of people would come up with...crabby child, not being able to finish projects, interruptions, etc.

A friend in my small group quickly challenged me after discussing what I had written down, I don't think it was meant as a direct challenge to me but I definitely needed to hear it. She said that nothing outside of ourselves can steal our joy. Whether I still have joy is dependent on how I decide to react to the situations going on around me. Wow did I need to hear that reminder!

There have been a lot of times in the past few weeks that I have allowed the situations that surround me to affect me to a level that I allow my joy to slip away. These situations probably would have made any person unhappy, I mean who really is going to be happy when their toddler woke up in the middle of the night for an hour or so and then decided he would be up and ready for the day at 5:30, but I allowed his crabbiness and my tiredness to steal my joy away that day.

Romans 5:3-4 "We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation."

My study Bible describes this verse with these words...Joy comes in knowing that no matter what happens God will use everything for our ultimate good. I have been challenged to put a large defining line between Joy and Happiness. Situations are going to arise that aren't going to make me happy but I don't have to let them steal my joy.

I have chosen to take steps on those not so happy days to change my surroundings to strengthen the joy inside of me. But greater than that I have decided to hide these verses in my heart so I have a constant reminder to choose joy.

Psalm 118:24 says "This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it."

Philippians 4:4 says "Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again - rejoice!"

Having happiness is dependent on feelings and surroundings, but having joy is a choice. This is a choice that I have to make every day and I will strive to say yes to joy every single day.

 

I chose to prevent any stealing of joy today after a late night and a early morning...

A trip to a near by pond, Andrew was so excited to see all the dragonflies at the water's edge

and to search for fish and frogs in the water.

A very enjoyable morning with my little man.