Joy is the highest feeling of excitement and satisfaction for living.
Joy is God's Holy Spirit within us that sets the foundation for peace and love.
- I think of where it originates? Where does it come from? What is its source?
- I think of how long it lasts? Is it only for a moment, situational? Is it forever?
- I think of who it impacts? Is it for my benefit? Is it to be shared? How?
- I think of how difficult it is to keep people, circumstances, situations and life events from stealing my joy!
JOY IS LIKE BEING HAPPY ... ALWAYS!
Happiness is tied to events or circumstances. It is viewed as temporary; it has a start time and end time. Happiness occurs during a moment in time and then it disappears. What happens when you are happy? You smile. You glow. You feel positive about life and the people around you. Even strangers may get a smile and encouraging word. When you are happy, it overwhelms sadness, sorrow, and pain.
Joy is the happiness that is consistent during all events of life ... during the storms of life and the rainbows of life. Joy helps us to receiving blessings during our storms. Joy allows us to reach out to others during the storms of life. Joy has us praising God during our illness. Joy takes the energy out of depression. Joy removes the pressure of guilt. Joy eliminates the urges for cigarettes, alcohol, drugs. Joy allows us to stand during our grief.
Joy is behavior. Joy is attitude. Joy is satisfaction. Joy is continually seeing the glass as half full instead of half empty. Joy is always seeing the blessings, even in the midst of the storms of life. Joy knows there will be storms and they will pass. Joy knows that wisdom comes as a result of our storms.
Wherein happiness is temporary and tied to events, Joy is forever and is tied to but one event...LIVING! To live is to believe that God will take care of e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g.
Joy is an internal feeling. It originates from deep within our heart and soul. It permeates our being. It represents the core of who we are as a result of who's we are!
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How Long Does JOY Last?
JOY - Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow !
Joy is ever-lasting and ever-present.
There is no time limit on Joy. It doesn't burn out like a candle. It does not fade like a light bulb. It does not erode. It does not decay. It does not spoil. It does not crumble. The strength of our Joy comes from God who is all-powerful, all-present, all-knowing, all-loving.
Joy emerges when you accept Jesus Christ as your Savior and you are filled with God's Holy Spirit.
We are not perfect. When we make mistakes and respond without joy, we just ask God for forgiveness and strength to respond to the next situation with joy.
Joy is a change in lifestyle. It becomes us. It is not something we do on occasion. It is not somewhere we go on Sunday. It is not someone we become when we feel like it. Joy is our desire to live like Jesus. Joy is our desire to live according to God's will. Joy is our desire to spread the gospel to others in the way God has destined for us.
Joy does not know time. When issues will be resolved...When a breakthrough is coming...When the pain will go away ... When I will find peace ... Joy knows that God is in control; He will take care of everything. God has a plan, His will, His time. His thoughts and ways and higher than ours. His peace surpasses our understanding. We must have FAITH and in our Joy have patience to wait on Him.
I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. [Romans 15:13]
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Who Does JOY Impact?
Your Joy Touches Everyone!
Joy is the emission of God's Holy Spirit within us.
Funny how we take notice of strangers around us. People we do not know will recognize the joy within us. When you walk with joy, everyone you encounter is touched by the energy, the radiance. People want to know what you have and how to get it.
People you know and encounter daily will ask you "How do you smile always? Don't you every have a bad day?". People will remark "He/She is the happiest person I know. Always smiling."
Joy impacts everyone around us. As our joy allows us to respond positively to negative situations, others will notice that we didn't get angry, didn't curse, didn't yell, didn't pout. Joy allows us to be calm, patient, unresponsive. Joy allows us to say nice things and be encouraging to those who hate and attempt to persecute. Joy reminds us that the battle is not ours, that God is in control. Joy helps us to see beyond the expressed behavior to the source. Perhaps a person is experiencing issues. Perhaps a person is sad, depressed. Perhaps a person is lonely. Perhaps a person is overwhelmed with health issues. Perhaps the person is in our space because God knew we would respond to them with joy and plant a seed of hope that will lead them to also believe in Jesus and be filled with God's Holy Spirit.
Hmmmmmmm! God works in mysterious ways. We are his people. He made us. Our journey is His plan for us. The people we encounter in the gr ocery store, department store, doctor's office, on the freeway and presented for a reason. Our neighbors, co-workers, church family, friends are in our space because of God's divine plan. We are their beacon of life that will lead them to Him. We are the examples of living with His joy. Our behavior, our reaction is the torch that He uses to light the flame within others.
We do not realize that others are watching us. You may be surprised to know that because of the joy that flows through your veins; the joy the radiates from your pores; the joy that puts a glow in your eyes...you are watched. You may also be criticized, persecuted as people fight that which they don't understand. Remember joy is powerful ... with joy we have no fear and stand immovable on our faith in God!
The devil may attempt to use other people to steal your joy.
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How Do You Hold onto Your JOY?
Joy is valuable!
The devil desperately wants to steal your joy from you and will use people, situations and circumstances to steal your joy. The devil seeks to find that which bothers you the most to cause you to respond un-joyful. The devil will use those closest to you: family, friends, co-workers, neighbors.
Have you ever encountered someone that 'couldn't stand you' even though they didn't know anything about you? Has anyone ever just started talking to you about their personal circumstances while you were minding your own business in the grocery or bank line? Has anyone approached you with anger which you did not understand because you hadn't done anything to that person? Has anyone accused you of wrong behavior for no reason? Has anyone approached you with complaints about someone else?
These are attempts to steal your joy!
But with Joy from God's Holy Spirit, we are powerful and stand strong, grounded in our faith, armed with His word, wearing the full armor of God so that the devil's attempts are not realized. God's Holy Spirit alerts us to the devil's presence and we respond with Joy and Love.
We have to work hard at holding on to our joy. We are sometimes weak. We are sometimes bruised. We are sometimes tired. And during these moments, the devil sets his attack. And during these moments, we really have to call on God and seek his power for our joy to resonate, blinding the enemy with kindness. God's power will yield the evil spirit powerless and removed from the person so that you can plant God's seed of salvation.
An attack to steal your joy is an opportunity to be used by God to plant the seeds of love. That seed could be an observance of your joyful response to a negative situation. That seed could be your expression of love to your enemy. That seed could be your display of kindness in response to rudeness.
We know that our reward lies beyond this world as we seek to live in Jesus' kingdom where a life of joy is eternal.
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May God bless you with joy from His Holy Spirit and
May you realize the power of JOY in your life, in the name of Jesus. Amen.
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Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory. 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. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love. [Romans 5:1-5]
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