I've been taught multiple times that "joy" and "happiness" or "happy" are not the same thing.
I mostly agree with this, although the English languages has many words that mean the same thing, I'm not so sure this is the case with joy and happiness.
According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary,
joy is defined as: 1. a feeling of great happiness, 2. a source or cause of great happiness : something or someone that gives joy to someone, 3. success in doing, finding, or getting something;
happy is defined as: 1. feeling pleasure and enjoyment because of your life, situation, etc., 2. showing or causing feelings of pleasure and enjoyment, 3. pleased or glad about a particular situation, event, etc.
After reading those definitions it really makes happiness seem like such a temporary state. And while it is, I think it doesn't have to be. We don't always have to be bursting out rainbows and butterflies and flowers, because not everyone is that bubbly all the time, but that doesn't mean we can't be happy all or most of the time.
Joy
"Rejoice in Me always. This is a moment-by-moment choice. It is possible to find Joy in Me even during the most difficult times. Because I am always near, I am constantly available to help you. I can even carry you through times of extreme adversity.
Imagine a woman who has become engaged to a man she deeply loves and admires. Her heart overflows with pleasure whenever she thinks bout her beloved. Problems fade into the background, unable to dampen her enthusiasm and excitement. Similarly, when you remember that I am your perfect Betrothed and that you are promised to Me forever, you can rejoice in Me even though you face many problems.
It is in the present moment that you find Me ever near you. My Presence in the present is an endless source of Joy: a continual feast! The soul-satisfaction you find in Me helps you relate well to other people. As you enjoy My abiding Presence you can bless others with your gentleness."
Philippians 4:4 NLT
Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice!
Proverbs 15:15 NLT
For the despondent, every day brings trouble;
for the happy heart, life is a continual feast.
Psalm 63:5 NLT
You satisfy me more than the richest feast.
I will praise you with songs of joy.
John 15:4 NLT
Remain
in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it
is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain
in me.
(From "Jesus Lives" by Sarah Young)
I know this seems redundant from past blog posts, but it always boils down to the fact that God has got our back, we can't sit around and worry all day, we have to give our troubles and worries to Him. He is our source of happiness and joy in this world. Does that mean we can't feel happy when we get a new car? No. But we cannot place our hope and happiness and invest ourselves in that car (or other material things). We must invest our lives, our hearts, our souls, our minds, our bodies, in God first. Then other things will fall into place as they should.
Matthew 6:33 (Contemporary English Version) says: But more than anything else, put God’s work first and do what he wants. Then the other things will be yours as well.
In the Message (verses 30-33): If God gives
such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never
even seen—don’t you think he’ll attend to you, take pride in you, do his
best for you? What I’m trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not
be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God’s giving.
People who don’t know God and the way he works fuss over these things,
but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality,
God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll
find all your everyday human concerns will be met.
We worry too much. We get worked up over the small, not so important things. We invest too much of our time and effort in worry and things that don't really even matter.
Ya gotta learn to forgive and let go of things. Don't let things hold you up and keep you from being happy.
This is the simplified version of how I see life:
-Above all else, worship, praise, love, and thank God. All day. Every day. Be thankful for the many blessings He provides you with.
-Help others. Help those in need. Show God's love and care to everyone around you. Don't make it about the business of getting things done, make it about helping others in the name of God. Do God's work here on earth.
-Sure, take care of work and school and business kind of stuff, but you gotta learn to drop all that and go have fun and enjoy God's beauty and live a life doing what makes you happy on this earth.
-I know, I know, things come up, sometimes we are just down. Life can't be all ups, or it wouldn't be life. Take care of those things one step at the time. If you don't know what to do, pray about it, God will help ya out. Pray about it, then just roll with what comes at you. You'll be prepared how you should be if you are sticking by God's side.
(I am reluctant to say this, and I know we all need to relax sometimes, but for goodness sake don't sit around and watch tv when you could be outside enjoying the sunshine.)
-Being outdoors in nature, whether I'm with others or not, makes me happy. I love to be outside and breathe the fresh air and see the flowers and trees and mountains, and just know that God made all that. He made all of that with His own hands.
-We have all got to stop worrying so much and getting caught up in the scheduling and doing of so many things.
I know that makes it sound all good and easy, I know life isn't easy, it's tough sometimes, but we've gotta make the journey more bearable [during the good and bad times] by enjoying what God has blessed us with. So just lighten up, leave the worries behind.
"Focus on the journey, not the destination. Joy is found not in finishing an activity but in doing it." - Greg Anderson
"Happiness
is a journey, not a destination; happiness is to be found along the way not at
the end of the road, for then the journey is over and it's too late. The time
for happiness is today not tomorrow." - Paul H. Dunn
Tuesday, May 6, 2014
Friday, May 2, 2014
Love
1 Corinthians 13:1-5 NLT
If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.
Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged.
I'm sure most people have heard this passage before, or at least part of it. I'm sure most have also heard: Love thy neighbor. Love your enemies. Do unto others as you would have them do to you. Etc.
I know that in this world it is really tough to love everyone. And it is really tough sometimes to do nice things for others, knowing it may not be reciprocated or receiving thankfulness in return.
Think about the people you know, that you might not like too much. Maybe they get on your nerves, make you angry, rude to you, something they did to you in the past, maybe you hold a grudge against them.
Now think about the last interaction you had with that person(s). Were you nice? Were you thinking nice things? When is the last time you made a positive or nice gesture toward them? I bet you didn't think or say that you love them. Maybe I'm going a little elementary here, but I think it's important to view problems at their most basic level of understanding and at the root of the problem.
What if you forgave that person(s) for any direct or indirect "mean" thing they ever did to you? What about you, have you ever done anything "mean" back at them (direct or indirect)? That includes talking negatively about them behind their back. Although I highly support the action of venting to a good friend or parent, make sure you're not telling what happened in an exaggerated way, or for just the reason of gossiping. I totally understanding telling one person about something, perhaps in a rant form, that happened you today that was really bad or annoying, etc. to get it off your chest and mind and out of your system. But if you tell more than one (maybe two) people, it's more for the gossip reason (in my eyes). Anyways, think about the peace that would come from forgiving that person and showing them love. You don't have to tell them you love them in words, but there are tons of ways one can express love to another. I'm not talking about mushy gushy lovey dovey or anything, just the love of Christ.
Now apply this to maybe a group of people, that you don't like, or associate with negative actions, feelings, etc. This could be a group of people you know that lives in your town, or it could be a foreign group or the government or whoever.
I'm sure whatever group(s) you're thinking about have done some pretty terrible things, and we probably think we have every right to tell everyone about all the bad things they've done and our opinion on it, etc. But will that make the problem itself, and the root of the problem, any better? Sure if you're thinking advertisement, protests, etc. against it, but I'm talking about just talking "bad" or negatively about the group to your friends. What good is that doing? You're talking about negative things to others. What does talking about negative do? Negative grows negative. It may be planting a negative seed in their mind about this group, and then maybe that person begins thinking about it more than on a level that matters.
I know it is extremely difficult to think positively about and show the love of Christ to a group of people that have done horrible things. But positive grows positive. Maybe you're stop talking about that group of people to others, and choose to talk about more positive things. Maybe you're talking to someone who is a part of that group, or knows someone in the group. Maybe if you said something positive it would plant a positive seed in their head that could grow when "watered" with more positive.
I know I sort of "went off" there on what is "realistic" in this world, but it's something that is important to think about.
This example may be extreme, and I certainly do not want to offend anyone, but what if we (we being the American gov't, a group of people from your church, etc.) walked up to the group of "terrorists" who caused 9/11 and said "We forgive you, and we want to extend such and such gift as a token of God's love for you." "Everyone makes mistakes in their life, big and small, all sin is equal in the eyes of God, and He will forgive you if you ask Him to."
Or something along those lines. What do you think that would do?
Again, I know I may going a little overboard here, but what do you think that has the potential of doing? I'm not saying go up to them or whoever and throw holy water in their face and say if they do not believe in God and get saved that they will go to hell. That is never the appropriate way to "witness" to someone, I wouldn't even call it witnessing.
It is about embracing people with love, the love of Christ.
Embrace your family with the love of Christ. Embrace your friends with the love of Christ, all of your friends, not just the ones that are Christians. Embrace your enemies with the love of Christ. Reunite with those you maybe left on the wrong foot with, by embracing them with the love of Christ.
Like I said a minute ago, that doesn't mean or require going up to them and immediately shouting about God, Jesus, and the Bible in their face. For those who aren't a Christian, that is a "turn off" for lack of better words. Just embrace them with a loving gesture, be nice, show Christ through your actions towards others.
And I leave you with this:
The word love is in the Bible (NIV) 551 times. Love for every day and moment of your life. You are loved, always. God loves you. Embrace God's love for you, and share it with others. It is plentiful. Love grows love.
If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.
Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged.
I'm sure most people have heard this passage before, or at least part of it. I'm sure most have also heard: Love thy neighbor. Love your enemies. Do unto others as you would have them do to you. Etc.
I know that in this world it is really tough to love everyone. And it is really tough sometimes to do nice things for others, knowing it may not be reciprocated or receiving thankfulness in return.
Think about the people you know, that you might not like too much. Maybe they get on your nerves, make you angry, rude to you, something they did to you in the past, maybe you hold a grudge against them.
Now think about the last interaction you had with that person(s). Were you nice? Were you thinking nice things? When is the last time you made a positive or nice gesture toward them? I bet you didn't think or say that you love them. Maybe I'm going a little elementary here, but I think it's important to view problems at their most basic level of understanding and at the root of the problem.
What if you forgave that person(s) for any direct or indirect "mean" thing they ever did to you? What about you, have you ever done anything "mean" back at them (direct or indirect)? That includes talking negatively about them behind their back. Although I highly support the action of venting to a good friend or parent, make sure you're not telling what happened in an exaggerated way, or for just the reason of gossiping. I totally understanding telling one person about something, perhaps in a rant form, that happened you today that was really bad or annoying, etc. to get it off your chest and mind and out of your system. But if you tell more than one (maybe two) people, it's more for the gossip reason (in my eyes). Anyways, think about the peace that would come from forgiving that person and showing them love. You don't have to tell them you love them in words, but there are tons of ways one can express love to another. I'm not talking about mushy gushy lovey dovey or anything, just the love of Christ.
Now apply this to maybe a group of people, that you don't like, or associate with negative actions, feelings, etc. This could be a group of people you know that lives in your town, or it could be a foreign group or the government or whoever.
I'm sure whatever group(s) you're thinking about have done some pretty terrible things, and we probably think we have every right to tell everyone about all the bad things they've done and our opinion on it, etc. But will that make the problem itself, and the root of the problem, any better? Sure if you're thinking advertisement, protests, etc. against it, but I'm talking about just talking "bad" or negatively about the group to your friends. What good is that doing? You're talking about negative things to others. What does talking about negative do? Negative grows negative. It may be planting a negative seed in their mind about this group, and then maybe that person begins thinking about it more than on a level that matters.
I know it is extremely difficult to think positively about and show the love of Christ to a group of people that have done horrible things. But positive grows positive. Maybe you're stop talking about that group of people to others, and choose to talk about more positive things. Maybe you're talking to someone who is a part of that group, or knows someone in the group. Maybe if you said something positive it would plant a positive seed in their head that could grow when "watered" with more positive.
I know I sort of "went off" there on what is "realistic" in this world, but it's something that is important to think about.
This example may be extreme, and I certainly do not want to offend anyone, but what if we (we being the American gov't, a group of people from your church, etc.) walked up to the group of "terrorists" who caused 9/11 and said "We forgive you, and we want to extend such and such gift as a token of God's love for you." "Everyone makes mistakes in their life, big and small, all sin is equal in the eyes of God, and He will forgive you if you ask Him to."
Or something along those lines. What do you think that would do?
Again, I know I may going a little overboard here, but what do you think that has the potential of doing? I'm not saying go up to them or whoever and throw holy water in their face and say if they do not believe in God and get saved that they will go to hell. That is never the appropriate way to "witness" to someone, I wouldn't even call it witnessing.
It is about embracing people with love, the love of Christ.
Embrace your family with the love of Christ. Embrace your friends with the love of Christ, all of your friends, not just the ones that are Christians. Embrace your enemies with the love of Christ. Reunite with those you maybe left on the wrong foot with, by embracing them with the love of Christ.
Like I said a minute ago, that doesn't mean or require going up to them and immediately shouting about God, Jesus, and the Bible in their face. For those who aren't a Christian, that is a "turn off" for lack of better words. Just embrace them with a loving gesture, be nice, show Christ through your actions towards others.
And I leave you with this:
The word love is in the Bible (NIV) 551 times. Love for every day and moment of your life. You are loved, always. God loves you. Embrace God's love for you, and share it with others. It is plentiful. Love grows love.
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