Throughout the course of the last 8 months, I have gotten feedback on top of more feedback about how I carry joy. I’ve always believed that joy is a condition of the heart…something not swayed by circumstance. Happiness is very different and you can be void of happiness while still carrying and exuding joy.
This is a gift that has been called out in me countless times on the race but my joy isn’t from myself. There have been so many times that I’ve been so empty of happiness but somehow others still saw joy in me. But I have also learned that I have to actively choose to walk in joy. It’s a heart choice, not determined by circumstance but it’s also a choice.
I am convinced that this joy comes only from the Lord. We can only have true joy when Jesus completely takes over, when we are filled with His Holy Spirit.
I think about Paul in the Bible and in Acts when Paul is called out of persecuting Christians into the purpose the Lord had for Him. The Holy Spirit was poured out over him. After that, we see letter after letter that Paul speaks of the joy he has. Through persecution, through trials and imprisonment, he never ceases to have joy. Why? Because his joy isn’t of himself, if it were, he would have lost it very quickly due to all the hardships he endured. But he kept joy because he was FILLED with the SPIRIT.
I pray that I only become more and more filled with the Spirit so that my joy would overflow even more.
Where does your joy come from? Are you choosing it?
