“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds…” James 1:2
Disneyland is said to be the happiest place on earth. That’s a big claim, but when I think about it, I have never been sad at Disneyland. There are just too many fun things to do and experience. But what happens when I leave Disneyland? Maybe that Disneyland happiness lasts for another day or two, but then, ultimately it fades and life resumes.
That’s the thing about happiness, it’s temporary. It can be taken away. Happiness can go away at a moments notice. Sometimes we chase happiness or “good vibes” and can’t find it because someone we know just dies, or our parents are getting divorced. Happiness is nowhere to be found on a bad day.
Joy works a little bit differently. Joy comes from the Lord and isn’t temporary. Joy can be experienced on our best days and our worst days. Experiencing God’s joy can be as simple as watching a beautiful sunset or having a good time with friends. Joy can also be experienced in laughter or gratitude even on a bad day.
Pursuing joy does not mean life will be smooth and easy. The hard stuff will still happen in life. But joy allows us to go through that hard stuff and still crack a smile and recognize the little things we are thankful for.
The Lord has brought me on this journey of chasing after His joy and I would encourage you all to join me. A good place to start is to write down or tell someone a couple of things that you are thankful for today.