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by Dina Balicanot John 16:23-28 
W e often use the terms joy and happiness interchangeably. Truth is,they are not even synonymous to each other.
Happiness is something that comes from the world, conditioned and dependent upon what is happening to a person. Joy, on the other hand, is a divine dimension of living that is not affected by circumstances.
A fruit of the Holy Spirit, joy is a profound quality of life that transcends events and disasters that befall a person.
In the Gospel, Jesus assured the disciples that they can ask anything in His name so that their joy may be complete.
If we ask ourselves today, do we have joy in our lives? If we do, is that joy complete which means, is it something that we have prayed for and received in Jesus' name?
Are we sure that the things that bring us happiness now are what God really desired for us? Or are they something that we have designed and insisted for ourselves? If they are, then maybe it is not joy that we have in our lives. We may be happy, yes, but not exactly joyful.
How do we bring more joy to our lives then?
1. Pray for the spirit of contentment, i.e., to be accepting and hopeful even ifour expectations are not met.
2. Resolve our conflicts with other people. Anger clouds the eyes of our heart and obscures our view of God, draining away our joy.
3. Acknowledge our shortcomings and sins. There is great joy in humility and honesty.
4. Release all our problems to Jesus and ask for His strength and wisdom!
5. Always remember that He has created us to be His delight. From this day on, let us not only aspire to be happy. Let our hearts desire for joy that is complete and coming from the goodness of the Lord!
Prayer:
Lord, help us us examine ourselves that wemay desire for things that would produce more joy in our lives. Amen. |
