The world is sometimes an ugly place to view. The news of events around us is heartbreaking. It can be hard to see the joy in any of it. BUT what if we focused on finding the beauty. Joy is not dictated by what is happening around us but by what is happening within us. We can’t control all the events in the world, but we have full control over how we respond to those events, the amount of beauty we find, and the joy we release. This is never about dismissing what we see or ignoring it. It is about having compassion and empathy without sacrificing who we are on the inside.
If you find yourself without the ability to express joy, then that is something that needs to be worked out. Joy comes from a greater place than us. As a matter of fact, in Galatians 5:22, we discover that the fruit of the Spirit is joy, among other things. So a lack of joy could correspond to a lack of the Spirit or, better yet, our lack of surrender to the Spirit. You can’t give what you don’t have.
Take inventory today. How is your joy level? Not your happiness because that will always depend on your circumstances, but joy is lasting beyond circumstances. If you find yourself lacking joy, then sit with the Father and ask Him to give you more. Take some time to laugh. Yes, laugh! You don’t need a good excuse to laugh; do it. You have full control over when you laugh. Go ahead, try it now. It releases the feel-good hormones that help calm us and alleviate stress. It helps us focus. Joy and laughter are great tools to battle depression and help change your mindset. The next time you see ugly or heartbreaking news, allow your joy to radiate, knowing that you are never alone and will get through it.
Meditate on that Scripture. Pray that Scripture for yourself. Then laugh!
