Is JOY a choice?
What is joy and how can we experience it in our lives?
Is it different to happiness and how can we choose it?
Joy can be elusive and something that is often missing in our lives. We live in a culture that doesn’t always help us have joy and yet people are aching and searching for it in all sorts of places. The dictionary definition for joy is “a feeling of great happiness” or “to experience great pleasure or delight”.
As human beings we instinctively know that joy is something that makes our lives richer and better and maybe all human beings are on that search for joy and looking in lots of different places but still find themselves lacking. Maybe we look for it in careers or relationships and yet still find joy to be somewhere far off. Spiritual searching is often really a search and exploration for deeper meaning and for peace and joy. I believe joy is to be found within us and the source of that joy, I would suggest, comes from God.
For Christians the Bible has some insights on joy that can help us, it talks about joy being a feeling of good pleasure, dependant on who Jesus is rather on who we are, or what is happening around us. Joy is a gift of the Holy Spirit so is something that cannot be strived for, but is something we can have based on who God is and our perspective on things. It isn’t about our feelings or circumstances but on a deeper well within us that we choose to tap into, a source that comes from God.
Choosing joy in our circumstances and lives is not about being fake and gritting our teeth through really hard situations, or putting on a brave face, but it is about an attitude of the heart and mind. I would like to suggest that choosing joy is trusting that it’s God’s will for us to experience his joy, which isn’t dependant on circumstances, but on the work of the Holy Spirit. Joy is a gift that God wants us to have.
I think that having an eternal perspective and judging our lives based on God’s approval and his measuring, which is love, can bring deep joy and peace. Knowing we are seen and loved by God can bring huge joy to our lives, knowing nothing is hidden from Him.
“Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious JOY, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”
1 Peter 1: 8-9
Jesus is the joy, knowing Him, knowing we are secure in Him and one day we will meet Him and be with Him. That is the true source of joy in our lives. That has been my experience in my life.
We want to be people who exude joy and are light- hearted in what we do and how we live. Spreading joy to other people is also a source of joy!
“Joy, not grit, is the hallmark of holy obedience. We need to be light-hearted in what we do to avoid taking ourselves too seriously. It is a cheerful revolt against self and pride.”
Richard Foster
5 top tips for choosing Joy in your life:
1.
Don’t collude with negativity or take part in complaining with others.
2.
Think about the reward in heaven from your life that nobody sees, know that God sees everything, every movement of your heart to love and serve him when it is hard.
3.
Make a decision every morning to choose joy and ask God for an increase in this fruit of the spirit, especially when what you’re doing is boring or unappreciated or just hard work!
4.
Make active decisions to choose a path of positivity, joy and lightness.
5.
Be a person who brings joy to other people, and spread joy, it is contagious being around joyful people, they’re nice to be around!
Walk cheerfully over the world.
The Quakers.
Contributor: Hazel Askew