"Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again--rejoice!" Philippians 4:4 NLT
I've been thinking about joy today. Well no, actually, I've been thinking about the lack of joy--when sometimes the troubles of this world seem to get the best of me and I think I have a good excuse not to be joyful. Really I suppose if you just call it what it is, I guess I've been wallowing in the mud (self-pity). But all day God has been bringing two scriptures to mind. The first one is Philippians 4:4 where Paul tells us to rejoice--to always be full of joy in the Lord. And the second one is James 1:25 NLT "If you keep looking steadily into God's perfect law--the law that sets you free--and if you do what it says and don't forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it."
Just before that, in James 1:23-24 Paul says that if we just listen to God's word and don't do anything about it--don't obey, it's like looking at ourselves in the mirror and then walking away with a dirty face or messed up hair, or broccoli in our teeth. (My own loose paraphrase.)
So why do these two scriptures keep rolling around in my mind today? The answer is obvious, I suppose. Philippians 4:4 doesn't tell me to rejoice if I feel like it, or if everything is going just right. It says "Rejoice!" and "Be full of joy in the Lord". And James 1:25 says if we do what God's word tells us to do (whether we feel like it or not) He will bless us for it.
Sure enough, when I make the effort to think about all the wonderful things God has done for me, instead of letting my mind keep playing in the mud, I feel better. The blessing comes quickly. Just like fixing our hair and putting on a little makeup gives us a quick lift, looking for the good and choosing joy in the Lord will give our spirits a boost every time.
I've been thinking about joy today. Well no, actually, I've been thinking about the lack of joy--when sometimes the troubles of this world seem to get the best of me and I think I have a good excuse not to be joyful. Really I suppose if you just call it what it is, I guess I've been wallowing in the mud (self-pity). But all day God has been bringing two scriptures to mind. The first one is Philippians 4:4 where Paul tells us to rejoice--to always be full of joy in the Lord. And the second one is James 1:25 NLT "If you keep looking steadily into God's perfect law--the law that sets you free--and if you do what it says and don't forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it."
Just before that, in James 1:23-24 Paul says that if we just listen to God's word and don't do anything about it--don't obey, it's like looking at ourselves in the mirror and then walking away with a dirty face or messed up hair, or broccoli in our teeth. (My own loose paraphrase.)
So why do these two scriptures keep rolling around in my mind today? The answer is obvious, I suppose. Philippians 4:4 doesn't tell me to rejoice if I feel like it, or if everything is going just right. It says "Rejoice!" and "Be full of joy in the Lord". And James 1:25 says if we do what God's word tells us to do (whether we feel like it or not) He will bless us for it.
Sure enough, when I make the effort to think about all the wonderful things God has done for me, instead of letting my mind keep playing in the mud, I feel better. The blessing comes quickly. Just like fixing our hair and putting on a little makeup gives us a quick lift, looking for the good and choosing joy in the Lord will give our spirits a boost every time.
Circumstances around us may be exactly the same way they were before, but our outlook is changed. The extra effort is so worth it!
God bless you with joy today!
Deborah
Thanks for the reminder, Deborah! I used to have "Choose Joy" as the banner on my cell phone after a Beth Moore study I did years ago. I'm glad I found your blog! ;)
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