I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart.
Where?
Down in my heart
Where?
Down in my heart
Where?
Down in my heart to stay.
Can’t you hear the chorus of children singing that song in Sunday school?
Do you find deep and abiding joy down in your heart?
Do you find it easily most mornings? Or is it an inexplicable chase through moments of constant chaos?
When you boil it all down, how do we even truly define joy, let alone find it?
Dictionary.com defines joy as, “the emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying; keen pleasure or elation.”
Many like to distinguish between joy- a lasting, contented emotions versus happiness which is often described as a fleeting feeling.
Regardless how we define it, how do we find it?
Does the Bible give us any insight on how to find this?
As believers, God designed a perfect formula for finding JOY. He reveals it in Matthew 22:37- 39. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul and all your mind. And this is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
First we love the Lord. We need to love God, love His Spirit, love His Son, Jesus.
Jesus starts with J.
Next we are called to love our neighbors. When asked who is our neighbor, Jesus answered plainly. (Luke 10:37) Others. Others starts with O
Finally, Jesus addressed the fact we love ourselves. Love of self is inborn in each of us, and is not necessarily a negative. We must care for ourselves physically, emotionally, spiritually. But God numbered an order.
Jesus
Others
Yourself.
When we follow that order, we will receive the gift of JOY.
We are not just pursuing our own personal happiness. We are letting God lead. We choose obedience to Him. God always rewards obedience. Possessing an inner peace and contentment, or joy, would qualify as such a gift. There is a special satisfaction in knowing we are trying to follow and obey Him.
His simple formula isn’t as simple to follow, at least if your mind works like mine. But He’s got that covered too. He promises to provide whatever we need, if we ask. Let’s ask Him for help with just that:
Prayer: Dear Lord, You know my heart. I can linger on liking my feelings, my desires, my focus on me. You know my thoughts. When I really think it through, I don’t want to be selfish. Please help me focus on your prescription for joy- to let my first thoughts be of glorifying and obeying You. For thinking of and serving others in Your love. And then, for tending to my needs, but not dwelling too long on my wants. Lord, I deeply desire to follow You, but sometimes I get distracted. Please help me focus on fulfilling what You author for each moment. In Jesus’ name, Amen.