Joy is Essential
For years we were "doing" life, not LIVING life.
We'd wake upwards, chase the things that we thought brought us joy, would get to bed… exhausted, feeling like the day was a blur.
A few years ago we faced some of the hardest situations that left us angry, scared, stuck, uncertain, powerless, drastic and then many other "opposite of joy" feelings.
As I mentioned in my "We Moved. To Montana" post last month, I felt like life was over. Non only was I non living life… I wasn't even DOING life anymore.
I institute myself locked abroad in my room, hoping no one would come to the door… and hoping that at least one 24-hour interval, ONE day, would go by without some sort of assault on our family unit.
Now information technology would exist easy for me to sit here and say that after the bulk of our troubles were over, nosotros began to observe joy and live life again. But that's just not true.
Believe it or not, nosotros actually Establish joy during all of the heartache and perhaps that's the reason I'm sharing this with you today.
If y'all're going through a difficult fourth dimension right at present, I encourage you to find the joy in your life that currently exists.
It's there. I promise. It doesn't price anything and y'all don't have to look your plow.
It may accept a clean material to wipe the fuzziness off of your spectacles (metaphorically speaking of course) and a deep breath to bring more awareness… and I'm hoping to exist the clean cloth and fresh air that you demand for this.
Some find joy in the hurt.
You see, during all of the attacks on our livelihood, character, family unit, and children, it made us an piece of cake target for others (even people who didn't know us) to jump on the bandwagon of "destruct and destroy". It was similar some just thrived on the drama and actually found joy in hurting u.s.a..
Nosotros have a culture where "nosotros" Honey catching people in their weakness. Nosotros love defining people by their weakness.
– Erwin McManus
But although this was a hurtful, hard and difficult time… somehow… SOMEHOW, we found joy during the hurt, while others were finding joy in the hurt.
"How did yous observe joy?"
We found joy considering we began to let God be the source of joy in our lives.
Sure, it took a LOT for us to reach that point. It also took a lot of desperation, a lot of humbling, a lot of "slap united states in the face" moments where we felt like we had zip left. Only friend, it doesn't have to take that much for you.
Sure, we've known what God could do in our lives for years. Thank goodness we both grew up in Christian families and even had experienced miracles and God working in our lives before.
But in a dark identify, information technology can be easy to forget merely how welcoming God'due south artillery can exist and it'due south easy to forget that He can be the source of our joy.
Nosotros really began to LIVE life during the midst of our trials and to this twenty-four hour period, I believe that this is part of what saved u.s.; our marriage, our family, our lives.
So what is Joy?
Joy is the complete experience of being fully alive.
Erwin McManus
Deep, right? I know. Believe it or not, I've had that quote saved in my "notes" app for a few months after hearing ane of his sermons. I knew at the time that I loved that quote but too didn't fully encompass it.
Then in case it'due south hard for you lot to fully encapsulate what he said too, I can't aid but draw a picture for you to help describe the true pregnant of "joy" in case it'southward helpful.
Let'south apply my little boys as an example.
As I sit hither writing this post, I'm watching my "littles" run in the thou, swing on the rope swing, and play in the creek… Typical little boys, right?
Right. But let'due south think well-nigh what they're experiencing.
Internally.
What they're feeling.
They're carefree, have so much contentment, happiness, and they have a sense of security.
They know that their mom will feed them today, and their dad will fight off a behave if comes toward them… and they too know we'll both wrap our artillery effectually them tonight and make them feel loved.
Nosotros can have those same feelings with God. He is our sense of security, our spiritual food, and even the source of overall joy that we long for every.single.day, especially during the trials.
When we realize this and actually invite this in to our lives, the joy that we can experience is unlike any other feeling.
The truthful feeling of joy is when yous can virtually feel the pleasure of life confronting your skin.
There's naught that can come up at you that can keep y'all downwardly when you're filled with true joy.
This is why joy is essential.
Joy will requite yous the strength to face every trial considering true joy comes from God and God is way bigger than any trial you may be facing today.
And so instead of simply doing life, what if nosotros lived life to the fullest and when faced with a trial, we use it as an alarm that God is virtually to do something amazing in our lives?
Note from Jessica:
I shared this postal service from my heart and I truly hope that information technology's helpful for yous today and that it's something that you can carry with you as you continue LIVING life.
I quoted Erwin McManus a LOT in this post as he was the one who really helped me articulate what true joy is and I can't thank him enough.
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Source: https://fantabulosity.com/joy-is-essential/
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