FIGHT FOR YOUR JOY!

Let’s say I need to hack joy. I need to be able to live in the experience without a pause, every single day of my life. To be able to genuinely be ecstatic, and be that way constantly. People say it is a fickle emotion, one that is short-lived, but let’s assume that I decide out of sheer stubbornness to call them wrong. Or uninformed at best. What would I need?

Off the top of my head, I’d say money. A lot of it in fact, such that I would never have to worry about not being able to afford anything ever again. A total assurance that I can purchase my way to pleasure.

But now, there is a rule, and it is this: I can never make a bad investment. What this looks like in reality is that I can never bite into a shawarma that tastes like disappointment, reason being that I bought it, and it promised me satisfaction. Never again will I have to experience teeth-grinding borne of frustration when the kitchen sink gets faulty again barely three weeks after I paid the plumber to fix it. When I buy the dip, it can’t keep dipping. My money would have to always work. No wrong purchases. Beautiful in theory, but as of right now, I don’t know that there’s a way to make this happen. Money is nice, but it gets crossed out in the battle for THE source of joy. It’s back to the drawing board. 

I know for a fact that relationships with people won’t work, so I’ll rule that contender out immediately. For so many years, I tried to use the people I loved to fill voids that they were neither designed nor equipped enough to fill.  Friends and romantic partners were made into idols, and that abuse of purpose always resulted in horrible crashes that left me feeling worse than before these people met me. I cannot rely on human beings to bring me joy. Not when they have needs and inadequacies and lives as complex as mine. 

Any attempt to use loved ones to fill voids they were never designed to fill will always fail. You cannot rely on humans as your source of joy. Not when they have needs, inadequacies and lives as complex as yours. Click To Tweet

“Fight for your joy”

I would always say this at times when I felt myself leaning towards depression or emotional numbness again. Over the years I’ve struggled with a number of negative emotions, and I always tried to combat them by sheer force of will. I had no strategy, and I lost every single time. I would feel my heart give in to anxiety and I would watch almost as a third party, feeling helpless to stop it. Finally, recently, I was liberated from this emotional slavery. The Word of God saved me.

Negative emotions cannot be overcome by sheer force of will. A divine strategy is pivotal. You need to turn to the true source of joy - The Spirit within. Click To Tweet

Galatians 5:22-‬23 KJV

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

Believer in Christ, you have RECEIVED joy! It is the fruit the Holy Spirit in you. The Spirit of God in you has made provision for your joy. He has supplied it endlessly and in abundance.

And now you ask “But why don’t I feel it?” It is because contrary to what we believe, joy isn’t just an emotion or controlled by external circumstances. It is a reality you get to enter into by choice, based on the realization of who you are and what God has given you access to in Christ.

UNPOPULAR OPINION: Joy isn't just an emotion nor is it controlled by external circumstances. It is a reality you walk in by choice, based on the realization of who you are and what God has given you in Christ. Click To Tweet

This sounds so bogus, but it’s true. You can simply CHOOSE to experience joy. Why? Because its source is not inconsistent. The Holy Spirit does not close his shop (Pardon the reference). You get to draw as much as you want, and you get to be expressive with it. Spin, scream, skip, jump, or do all of the above and more. And speak out loud. Our human memory fails us, so self-talk (Psalm 103:1). Instruct your heart on what to do.

You can simply CHOOSE to experience joy. Why? Because its source is not inconsistent. The Holy Spirit does not close his shop. Click To Tweet

Child of God, truly, you have such an advantage. Your salvation alone is reason enough rejoice with a roar and dance, and Jesus shows us this in Luke 10:18-20. There is genuine satisfaction in Christ, and enough joy to keep you on an eternal high. Here’s what this looks like in real life:

1. Remind yourself that your joy isn’t trivial; that it is indeed serious business (Romans 14:17).
2. Understand that you don’t have joy devoid of tribulations, but joy in the midst of tribulations (1 Thessalonians 1:6).
3. Remember that you never again need to source for joy externally. Look in the Word of God to stir up your soul.
4. REJOICE IN THE HOLY GHOST!
5. Remember that you’ll do step 4 for eternity, and rejoice again. 

Understand that you don't have joy devoid of tribulations, but joy even in the midst of tribulations. The Joy in the Spirit is never circumstantial. Click To Tweet

The providential God has made this available. He is concerned with that which concerns you. Go forth and live out the reality of what He has provided. Have a joyful life, brother/sister.