It’s 10:31pm and I have zero inspiration for my creative writing paper but for some reason I have the urge to write this blog. So, here’s my two cents.
I wear a bracelet around my wrist nearly every day that says choose joy. These words have become increasingly important to me in the past few months (maybe even important enough to get them tatted on my body at some point?!?! Sorry dad! ).
Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. James 1:2-3
This verse has been on my heart lately. My bracelet is a constant reminder that every single day we have choices to make. Choices like what to wear, what to eat for breakfast, whether or not to go to school, who to talk too, among many other choices. We don’t always get to choose what happens to us, but we do get to choose how we react to it. More often than not, I find myself complaining or thinking negative thoughts. I have to remind myself that some of these things don’t matter and that choosing joy in all things should be something I strive for. To think about how different my life could be if I choose joy instead of anger, doubt, jealousy, or bitterness is actually pretty crazy.
When we scrape away every layer and look at why we as humans behave the way we do, it is to find joy, happiness, or satisfaction. Think about it. We look for a significant other to bring us happiness. We look for a job so that we can live a fulfilling life. We look for the approval of others so that we have happiness. Most people, including myself look for happiness in all the wrong places. One of the biggest downfalls for me is that I often search for happiness through the approval of others. This happiness we find is fleeting and will eventually diminish as circumstances change. The only place we are able to find lasting joy is in the Lord.
In James 1, we are reminded that choosing joy is an opportunity to grow in our faith. The thing is that, choosing joy is hard. Sometimes it seems like the absolute last thing I would want in certain situations is to choose joy. I have found that if I look deep enough, there is always something to be joyful about. Even in the toughest situations, there is joy to be found, you just have to look hard to find it.
Sometimes, even the simplest things that bring us great joy. For me, a Mumford and Sons song, a hug from a friend, waking up early to hike a mountain, a trip to goodwill, or even enjoying a good Hawaiian Pizza will bring me joy. More importantly, we need to look for joy in the hard things. For instance, hard times with people you love, sickness, or internal battles. When we choose joy, we are choosing to deepen our faith. It’s not always the easiest or most logical thing but it has the greatest reward.
I guess what I am trying to say is that the world we live in is broken and hurting every day. But, if you look hard enough, you can find joy in everything and at the root of that is a God who is working to make all things good. He is working amongst even the ugliest situations and where you find joy, you find God. We have to learn to choose joy as a lifestyle. We cannot just choose joy in one instant and find it gone in the next. SO, here is to choosing to live with joy more and more with the passage of time.
