Healing

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Life teaches us many things, but I do not think that we can truly appreciate “joy” until we have lived a lot of life. No one can appreciate happiness until they have done without. And real, true happiness and joy can only be found through Jesus Christ.

Nehemiah 8:10 clearly states that the “joy of the Lord” is your strength. And in Webster’s, joy is defined as “the emotion evoked by well-being, success or good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one desires.” So how does a person go about in possessing a joy that cannot be explained in human or normal terms? How do you possess such a concept unless it is brought about through supernatural understanding or through the renewing of your heart and mind? I feel that through a more intimate understanding of Jesus, we can reach into His concept and revelation of true happiness and well-being if you truly desire to live within the “joy” of the moment.

Moments of joy can consist of stopping and literally smelling the flowers around you while you are out walking. It can consist of actually pulling your child into your arms and looking closely into their eyes as they tell you about a picture they just drew for their dad. Joy can be found in the realization that you truly love your husband, even though he can really be difficult at times. Joy can be found while you are driving down the road and you realize that you are actually content with the life that you lead. And joy can be found in seeing a child who has struggled for so long to walk, read or write actually pulling it off against all of the odds.

True happiness and joy is also found in giving to others. It is true that it is better to give then it is to receive. When you get your mind off of yourself and all of the problems surrounding your own life, then you are able to reach out and touch those around you, infusing “joy” into an otherwise bleak situation. People who are “givers” cannot be depressed. They are too busy thinking of ways to help others lead a more joyous and interesting lifestyle. Selfishness and depression is created when you are constantly thinking about all of your own problems and issues. But when you make a choice to touch the life of someone else, or just to speak a kind and encouraging word, this pulls you out of yourself and into the world of “joy”.

The world of “joy” is not found overnight. And it cannot be truly understood without Jesus standing beside you and opening your spiritual and physical eyes. True joy is brought about through appreciation, thankfulness, and a resolve that you will not accept anything else for your life. True joy can only be found when you have had enough, and you draw a line in the sand, telling Satan he can go no further in your life. A weight will be lifted off of your shoulders when you reach this point. You will feel like a different person. But while this must be a supernatural occurrence, this must also be a physical decision. You must consciously be aware of the fact that it is easy to slip back into old ways of thinking and doing. It is easy to fall back into old habits because it is the most comfortable pathway. It is like eating a whole cheesecake – it sure tastes good while it is going down, but it doesn’t feel good when it is coming back up.

Therefore, guard against this “backlash” by the “renewing of your mind.” Romans 12:2 states that you are not to conform any longer to the pattern of the world around you, but you must be transformed by the “renewing of your mind.” And by this renewing, you will then be able to “test and approve” of what God’s will is for your life – His “good and pleasing and perfect will” (NIV). Joy then becomes a constant companion because you allow the Lord to daily “renew” your mind. Joy happens because you are now able to see through the clouds that have surrounded your mind like a fog. Darkness cannot remain where there is light. And when your mind is truly saturated with the joy of the Lord, Jesus becomes your main strength, leading you into His perfect will for your life.

At this point, joy becomes something that is unspeakable. It is a feeling that is there all of the time, ebbing and flowing, separating itself from the emotions of the moment. Joy becomes a constant companion because you begin to relate to the Lord within the feeling of the moment. Jesus becomes more real in your life because now, when you feel His presence, you are able to feel joy. You don’t just seek Him when you are in trouble or sad – you seek Him so that you can saturate yourself in His joy. You seek His face not to take, but to give back a reflection of what He is to you. You seek to reflect sunlight…. and happiness… and unspeakable joy back to Him.

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