Joy

What do you think of when you think of joy? An experience, a picture? Below list 3 of the most joyful times in your life.

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Now look back over your list. What did you list? Mostly happy experiences? If you are like me your list is probably experiences and times that made you smile. In fact most of my joyful experiences are based on what was happing around me. Until recently that is actually what I thought Joy and happiness were, being joyful and happy because it’s easy! So you can imagine I was definitely thrown for a loop when I found James 1: 2 (NIV)“ Consider it pure joy when you face trials of many kinds.” Not one or two trials, but many kinds. That is pure joy. Wait…what?

I had just learned that I was supposed to be joyful in many trials. That totally messed with me. How could you be joyful when everything is going wrong? I didn’t like that idea so for a while I pushed it aside. I soon realized God wanted me to get my brain wrapped around this idea because I went to youth Bible study that Wednesday and we started a unit on having joy in all circumstances! As soon as the lesson started I felt the Holy Spirit knocking telling me to listen up. For the next hour I listened and wrestled with this crazy idea inside my head. My mom had just had a brain tumor removed and I was supposed to be joyful even in that? I just couldn’t believe that. I told God I would think on it. Of course God knew I needed to get this idea in my mind because guess what showed up in my quiet time for the next week? And my mom said the exact say thing when I was grumbling in math. Needless to say, I am a flawed and stubborn person and God sure had his hands full getting this idea into my thick skull. Finally after days of running from this concept, I felt like Jonah caught in the storm. God wanted me to jump into the sea of this idea. I finally jumped but It wasn’t easy and the water was freezing!

But I realized that He didn’t mean we should be happy and joyful and dancing in trails but filled with him, God, filled with so much inner love and praise that we are joyful whatever the outcome, because I know now “weapon formed against me will stand.”! Psalm 16:11 (NIV), “says God knows and makes known the path of my life and his presence fills me with joy. We can be joyful because God knows best! Now again I am not perfect even though I got the idea inside my heart and mind the Holy Spirit still has to come knock and remind me everyday and especially during Algebra 2. Joy is something that I have to work towards everyday and it definitely one of the hardest battles to “choose Joy”