Here is a big question. A really important question that kept me pondering for quite some time. Are you joyful? Now, I am speaking about general terms here. Some days not at all, others yep...but in general, do you experience lots of joy? This is a question that needs some thought. For me, my life was certainly good. I had a kind husband, I had three healthy children, a nice home.... BUT....I was not a joy filled person. Sure, I loved my children, I loved my husband, I had a nice home...etc. You know the drill. But joyful? Full of joy? No. Actually I was rather cranky. Kinda biatchy (pardon my language...that word just fits too well) at times. I have to say, I lived my life like that cause I did not realize something that I realize now. I had control over my joy and if I was not experiencing great joy in general, it was because I was giving it away. Yep. You may be asking, how can a person give their joy away???? Well, I am challenging you to look at it this way.
Do you sometimes let a small thing upset you for hours, days, even weeks? Have you ever gotten really mad at someone and then as time goes by you remain mad at them but when asked why, you have forgotten? Does it shut you down when your children make several changes of clothes in one morning? or how about this... Have you ever had your child say to you after some tyraid, "mommy, you're scaring me!" (yeah, that hurts...I know. I know) Have you ever white knuckled the steering wheel when the person in front of you at a red light does not go immediately (your definition of immediately of course) when it turns green? Or how about this one....have you not allowed your children to play with crayons or maybe play-doh cause it makes too much of a mess. When the points get broken or the colors get mixed...watch out!!! You get the picture right? Now, some of these might be extreme but this is reality for some. I am going to step out of the box and say, everyone reading this said "oh yeah" to at least one of the above listed behaviors. All of these scenarios are what I would call a joy stealer. A kill joy. Each time we allow our emotions to get the better of us, our joy just flies out the window. Now, let's review that last statement. Actually, the we allow portion of it. See that? We have just allowed our joy to be stolen. For me, it was often one step worse...I was just giving it away. A silly moment in my day...poof....gone goes the joy. I have come to learn that there are forces in our world that have the sole objective of killing, stealing and destroying all that is good. The goal is to do one or all three of these things to all that we hold dear. (see John 10:10) This might seem frightening to some. It seemed a bit scary to me at first. However......the only way that anything can be stolen from us, killed, or destroyed is by OUR OWN allowing of this action to take place. Every precious human being (and everyone is precious...see Psalm 139:13-14) has the choice to either fall under the protection of our Creator or not. IF you are one that has decided...yeah.....I do believe in my Creator. You might even say...yeah, I think all this bible stuff is for real and I am willing to take a "walk" to see what it is all about...then guess what my dear friend.....the yucky (technical term) powers that be in this world have NO power over you. You have a protection that comes from the One and Only. The One and Only!!!! Don't believe me? Well, turn to Psalm 91:14-16. Did ya read it? Go ahead. Great...huh. I love that. What comfort it gives me. ( for those that do not have a bible, I would encourage you to put it on your list of must haves. For now though, if you put that verse into goggle, it will come up for you.) Now, knowing that this protection is for us, that still does not erase that fact that the evil one is out there trying to get us to stumble. He wants to steal our joy. He wants to get us all worked up. He wants to get our focus off the warm, fuzzy, squishy stuff and on the yucky, frustrated, bitter, grouchy stuff. Don't let him. I did for years. What joy I now have. What joy I keep. I realized that I am in the arms of a protector. The only way my joy leaves me is if I toss it away or allow it to be stolen. In closing, our enemy knows we can't be touched but he keeps at us. Do WE know he can't touch us unless we let him? Selah.
One of my good friends had a grandma who often said that "holding onto anger only hurts the one holding onto it". I agree with that, right up the alley with the joy stealing! With all of the things that happen day-to-day with kids especially, I need to keep that in mind. Drop it and don't let my joy be stolen :)!
ReplyDelete