Joy? Who's she?

Note to self,

My husband was having a rough day today. We were both in our heads and no words of affirmation would "fix it" (something I try and fail to do so often with my engineering mindset). When he got home, I threw on a nostalgic cartoon and we enjoyed a laugh.

I knew I couldn't fix the problem, but I also knew that laughter is healing! I've been reading a book called Praying the Scriptures for Your Marriage and in one chapter, it focuses on the importance of laughter in marriage. It explains that researchers found that laughter "induces physical changes in our bodies, some of which have long-term effects" (Berndt, 154).

I so often take myself way to seriously. I worry about things so much. And do those things often matter to me in a day? A week? A month? I rarely have worries that are big enough to remember a year later. But even if I did, I see the words of Jesus in Luke 12.

Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life?

Luke 12:25

We know now that stress and worry actually take away from our lives. If the stress doesn't kill us, we lose time that we could've spent enjoying life in those countless hours we spend worrying. Words of experience.

So how do I combat the worry and constant weight of the challenges of this life? I was contemplating this question when I stumbled upon this proverb:

A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

Proverbs 17:22

The verse compares a cheerful heart to medicine! If worry steals life, joy brings life! In Psalm 16, David praises God for the joy he found in the Lord.

You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

Psalm 16:11

Yes, God! Amen! We find life in Jesus and He fills us with true joy! He says in the gospel of John,

As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.

John 15: 9-11

Not only is joy a result of our love of the Father and through abiding in His love, but it is a part of the fruit of the Spirit. It is a natural outpouring of our relationship with Jesus. It is a choice we make to surrender our worries to God and accept Him. We can be joyful in any situation.

Choosing joy is not feigning happiness when we're not happy. There is a time for grief and pain as well (see Ecclesiastes 3). But choosing joy is choosing not to dwell on the worries and pains of this world, but instead letting go of our pride and desire for control and trusting in God and His love. I find joy in remembering that this life is temporary and even in this life, we get beautiful glimpses of God's creativity throughout nature and in our closest friends and family.

I believe that the key to contentment is gratitude. When Paul was in prison, he said he knew the secret to being content "in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want." (Phil. 4:12). Notice also that Paul is constantly thanking the Lord for his opportunities to preach the gospel and for the people he gets to shepherd.

Today, I thank God for fun childhood shows, for good food on my table, for my husband, and for the beautiful sunrise I saw this morning.

Lord, I'm so thankful for the wonderful blessings you've created. You are so good, and your plan is so much bigger than I could understand. Help me to abide in you and your love today so that my joy may be complete in you. When I start to get weighed down by the things of this world, show me a way out so that I may not be tempted to dwell on things that do not bring life. May my life reflect you and bring light to this dark world.

Amen!

Berndt, J. (2023). Praying the scriptures for your marriage: Trusting god with your most important relationship. Zondervan.