For so long, I have heard and even said to myself in times of sorrow "the Joy of the Lord is my strength" but I have not felt it. The other day, probably last Tuesday, I was watching a sermon - I love Creflo Dollar, and he was speaking on the joy of the Lord. In a Dianne paraphrasing nutshell he said: The joy of the Lord is like when you wake up and find yourself out of shape and overweight you can't all of a sudden say "I'm going to be skinny today and be skinny. No, you need to work out and flex your muscles to get to a point of skinny again. Well, the joy of the Lord is the same way. You need to make a conscious effort to flex your joy of the Lord muscles. I decided right then and there to do just that.
Oh my gosh! The joy of the Lord really is becoming my strength. I talked with my mom about this and she said that when she is feeling in a funk, she gets up, smiles and says "It's a beautiful day." Well, I am doing the same thing. I have been praying at night asking God to help me flex my joy muscles and in the morning doing the same thing and I'm really starting to feel the joy of the Lord. Praise God. There is such a thing. Who was I to expect that after been so unhappy for the past, my gosh I'm sad to say five years, that I was going to have the joy of the Lord without striving for it. I'm not only striving, but I'm at a full run.
It was neat in that yesterday's sermon discussed stress on the job and how we need to turn our jobs into not those of our employers, but those of the Lord's. My job is ok, I work with wonderful people, but I am not nearly challenged enough and don't plan on staying there forever, this is just a stepping stone. However, today I woke up said it was going to be a beautiful day full of the joy of the Lord and everything is yours God in all I do may I strive to do it as you would have me to. I had one of the most blessed days I think in my life and nothing changed but my attitude and outlook.
I even was tested by being completely wronged by a family member, but instead of being hurt, which I really could have been and almost let myself be, I felt so sorry for them in all they were losing by throwing their relationship with me away but I still had the joy of the Lord. Please pray for an unknown family member that whatever issues are at the heart of their matter they will see that I am still right here, doing the same thing I was when they made their decision and all they have to do is be civil and talk about whatever is wrong.
But anyway, the joy of the Lord is real. I'm still young in it and I know I will be tested again, but join with me in flexing your joy muscles as well if you struggle with any lingering non joy feeling. I want what God promised and I know he is going to be true to His promises if I just hang in there.
Hallelujah and Praise the Lord!
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