What We All Need

By Laurie Ness

The excitement of the holidays is gone.  No holiday hustle and bustle to distract us. We're left with what is truly in our hearts.

What's in your heart, dear one, as you pack away the Christmas decor for another year?  A spark?  A roaring fire? Or . . . cold, dark nothingness?

No matter what condition our hearts are in at the start of this new year, JOY is what we all need--either to get it or keep it!. And even those in the saddest or most worrisome circumstances can have joy!  Isn't it wonderful?  In fact, God wants us to have joy.  There's nothing we can do to deserve such joy, but any Christ-follower is capable of experiencing it by choosing the right frame of mind.  Here are a few facts to help us focus on joy:

Joy and happiness are not equal.  See, happiness is an emotion.  Joy is an attitude.  Our emotions are random and unreliable, while our attitudes are chosen and nurtured by us!  Joy and happiness may coincide at times, but they are not one and the same. "This is the day which the Lord has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it." (Psalm 118:24)

Joy and gratitude go hand in hand.  We can't be thankful and joyless.  Gratitude breeds joy.  Constant thanksgiving leaves no room for bitterness or empty spaces in our hearts. “Praise be to the Lord, for he has heard my cry for mercy. The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song.” (Psalm 28:6-7)

Joy lets go.  A joyful heart doesn't cling to its own wants, but lays everything (dreams, time, things, money, people, etc.) at Jesus' feet and let's Him decide what is best. "But may all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; may all those who long for your saving help always say, 'The Lord is great!'" (Psalm 40:16)

Joy lives in the moment.  To worry about tomorrow is a joy-killer.  True joy trusts the future to the One who holds it. "So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself . . . "  (Matthew 6:34)

Joy thrives in obedience.  Living in obedience to the Lord isn't always easy but always builds up the joy factor! "Light shines on the righteous, and joy on the upright in heart.  Rejoice in the Lord, you who are righteous, and praise His holy name."  (Psalm 97:11-12)

Choose joy, my friend.  Even in these cold winter months, joy is always there to experience. :)