Intentional Joy
By Susan Klein
"Joy cometh in the morning." Psalm 30:5b (KJV)
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, JOY, peace, patience,
kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” Galatians 5:22-23
By Susan Klein
"Joy cometh in the morning." Psalm 30:5b (KJV)
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, JOY, peace, patience,
kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” Galatians 5:22-23
Have you ever gone to bed with the weight of
the world on your shoulders? Makes it kind of hard to get up and get going the
next morning, doesn’t it? I tend to want to pull the covers over my head and
hibernate! Make no mistake: Trials and circumstances will most certainly come
and try to rob us of our joy. That is when we must become intentional about
joy.
When my daughter was born, I loved the meaning of the name “Abigail,” which is “my Father’s joy.” I didn’t particularly care for the name itself though, since it conjured up images of little old ladies in wheelchairs that I used to care for in a nursing home! So, we opted to name our tiny baby, “Abie Joy,” instead. I adore the fact that Scripture says God delights in us, or He takes joy in us. And not necessarily because of what we do, but just because He created us and we exist. We are His joy! As a baby, Abie brought me joy just by “being.” She didn’t have to do anything in particular. In fact, there was no joy in the circumstances surrounding her long and painful delivery. There was no joy in her fussing and her refusal to let anyone but me feed her for the first whole year of her life! But, as I sat and held her in my arms, I took joy in the little “her” that she was, and in the knowing that she’d be mine for as long as God allowed.
When circumstances get you down or when your day begins with a mile-long list of things you’ll never get done, take a moment to focus on true joy. Take joy in the King who has taken joy in you! Take joy in breath, and life, and your position in Christ! Take joy in eternal life, or the Holy Spirit within you, or just the mere freedom to choose to be joyful. Let God be the source of your joy rather than letting your circumstances rob you of it!
Then, the next time you feel the urge to stay in bed and hide from the world, rub the sleep from your eyes, put your cares in their proper place, and make an intentional choice to have joy!
And before your feet hit the floor, relish the fact that God is taking joy in you at that very same moment!
GOING DEEPER:
1. What is usually the first thing you focus on when you awake in the morning?
2. Make a habit of professing joy, whether in thought or aloud, before you get out of bed. See if it makes a difference in your day!
FURTHER READING:
The book of Psalms
When my daughter was born, I loved the meaning of the name “Abigail,” which is “my Father’s joy.” I didn’t particularly care for the name itself though, since it conjured up images of little old ladies in wheelchairs that I used to care for in a nursing home! So, we opted to name our tiny baby, “Abie Joy,” instead. I adore the fact that Scripture says God delights in us, or He takes joy in us. And not necessarily because of what we do, but just because He created us and we exist. We are His joy! As a baby, Abie brought me joy just by “being.” She didn’t have to do anything in particular. In fact, there was no joy in the circumstances surrounding her long and painful delivery. There was no joy in her fussing and her refusal to let anyone but me feed her for the first whole year of her life! But, as I sat and held her in my arms, I took joy in the little “her” that she was, and in the knowing that she’d be mine for as long as God allowed.
When circumstances get you down or when your day begins with a mile-long list of things you’ll never get done, take a moment to focus on true joy. Take joy in the King who has taken joy in you! Take joy in breath, and life, and your position in Christ! Take joy in eternal life, or the Holy Spirit within you, or just the mere freedom to choose to be joyful. Let God be the source of your joy rather than letting your circumstances rob you of it!
Then, the next time you feel the urge to stay in bed and hide from the world, rub the sleep from your eyes, put your cares in their proper place, and make an intentional choice to have joy!
And before your feet hit the floor, relish the fact that God is taking joy in you at that very same moment!
GOING DEEPER:
1. What is usually the first thing you focus on when you awake in the morning?
2. Make a habit of professing joy, whether in thought or aloud, before you get out of bed. See if it makes a difference in your day!
FURTHER READING:
The book of Psalms
Susan
is We Women's Tuesday Morning Bible Study Coordinator and one of its teachers.
She and her husband Mark lead a couples' small group in their home; she is also
involved in inner city outreach.
