Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Sometimes we experience things that make it seem like we should lose our joy, especially if they’re devastating, damaging, or we’re blind-sighted upon impact.

Philippians 4:4 says to “Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say rejoice.”

Twice, the Scriptures remind us to put our joy in the Lord.

When I was researching the word joy, I began to think about all the things I was putting my joy in, only to see them vanish as I lost my joy. I realized they are not so important as my joy in the Lord, first!

My husband and I decided not to put all our joy in each other, as it’s a lot of pressure and eventually we let each other down (we’re human).

More examples: A bad hair day, no car, flat tire on the car, favorite sports team loses, no money, burned breakfast, tripping over your dog and spilling your coffee in the morning.

What is it that causes you to lose your joy?

I learned from friend and Bible teacher Jerry Savelle that when or if these things happen to you, a good thing to think or even say out loud is, “wow, a person could ALMOST lose their joy over that.”

So wise, let’s put all our joy in the Lord, then it overflows onto our family, friends, church family, co-workers, neighbors and on and on.

Have you ever lost your car keys?

I have…it’s because we put them in the wrong or different place. We have hooks on the wall by our door where we hang our keys when we come home, then we know where they are when we need to leave again.

Sometimes if we’re in a hurry coming in the house, we may throw them on the table or bed where they might get covered up, then there’s that wasted, frustrating, time, looking for keys, when, if we would have put them in a secure or regular place, we would know right where they are.

Can you tell I’m an organizer?

If we put our joy in the right place (The Lord), we would never lose it.

That joy in the Lord is not elusive, doesn’t just fly away, we let it go, so be encouraged, strong and joyful, letting the outward expressions of joy show on your face and actions. Laugh off some things by saying, “wow, a person could ALMOST lose their joy over that, but not me.”

Like Nehemiah said, “go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks and send some to those who have nothing prepared (take someone to lunch).”

“Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is our strength.” Nehemiah 8:10 Amplified Bible

This column about JOY was inspired by my very profound, funny pastor, Ron Hammonds. Come visit my Church On The Rock at 10:30 a.m. Sunday and 7 p.m. Wednesday and feel the love and joy in our people.

Write to me with some fun story about this.

 

Kathie Deasy writes about religion for Port Arthur Newsmedia. She can be reached at kathiedeasy@hotmail.com.