JOY is the word I want you to speak over yourself, your marriage and your life today.
The words you speak have the power of life and death. (Proverbs 18:21)
When our children were very young and would occasionally find themselves a little grumpy for one reason or another, Starla and I had a plan. We would make them jump up and down until they started laughing. We would call it jumping for joy. It was amazing how the grumpiness would flee and be erased by outbursts of laughter. It was a lot of fun. (This didn’t work when they were teenagers!)
There always seems to be discussion and debate about joy versus happiness. Are they the same? Are they different? If they are different, what is the difference? The two words seem to be interchangeable. But are they interchangeable?
If I speak JOY over my life, does this mean that I have to be joyful or happy all the time?
The Bible does teach us that there is a time to laugh and there is a time to cry. So we are allowed to have some emotional swings. It’s natural.
But let’s define what JOY really is;
Simply put, happiness comes from without, circumstances and temporary things, while joy comes from within, your faith and your relationship with Jesus Christ.
Circumstances will change and so will your emotion of happiness to sadness.
But joy is not dependent upon factors, but faith.
Joy comes from knowing that you are solid in your relationship with God and you can find a place of contentment and joy in knowing that regardless of what the circumstances are in your life, God is sovereignly in control.
John 15:11 “These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.
Do you want your joy to be made full?
Then take these simple steps;
- Speak joy over your life and your marriage and your family today. Declare, “There will be joy in my life because I know that I am in right relationship with Jesus Christ and He is in control of my life. “No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.” (Ps. 84:11)
- Write down three things that you are grateful for.
- Write an email or send a text to your spouse (or someone) today and tell them that you love them.
It’s amazing what begins to happen when we start the process of expressing gratitude and love. It allows us to refocus on things that matter the most, rather than the things that irritate us the most.
Have a better day!