Choose Joy

When someone asks, “How are you feeling today?” our typical response is “I’m good!” whether we’re feeling good or not. We’re usually unaware of how we’re feeling because we don’t think about it. Emotions are triggered by the events that happen in our life, and they kind of just happen. You don’t have to tell yourself to feel happy when you win, you’re just happy. You don’t have to tell yourself to feel sad or angry when you lose, the anger just comes out. But here’s the thing, you get to choose how long those emotions stick around. Instead of your emotions controlling you, we need to learn how to choose them because life is more than the feelings that you feel. Emotions come and go. The more you learn to control your emotions, the healthier and more successful in life you will be. Live on Devotion, Not on Emotions Some of us are living on our emotions; whatever we feel, we do. To find purpose in life, you need devotion to Jesus. Choose Joy There’s a difference between being happy and being joyful. Happiness is a feeling. Joy is a decision. Joy isn’t based on how well your day is going. Joy is a state of mind. Choose joy because happiness isn’t enough. Happiness is achieved by external things. Joy happens internally. John 15:10 Three Things that Kill Your Joy: 1. Selfishness I want what I want, and I don’t care how it makes other people feel. We think it will bring us joy, but it does the opposite. James 4:1 - The root problem of relational difficulties is a power struggle between two selfish, insecure people. The solution is to grow up and stop being so self-centered. If you want joy in your life you have to get the focus off yourself and onto other people. 2. Comparing Causes sadness and depression Instead of celebrating others, we become jealous. Social media might be one of the most devastating things in our culture today. What would happen to your emotional health if you deleted that app from your phone for one week? 3. Fear We fear that we aren’t good enough, we fear the future, that we’re not going to be able to solve the problems in our life. But what if things actually work out the way that you hope? God says, don’t fear because He’s with you no matter what happens. (Isaiah 41:10) Why did I spend so much time obsessing over the negative things that might happen? I let fear control me instead of enjoying my life. Three Ways You Can Have Joy: 1. Focus on GIVING rather than RECEIVING. This is what it means to love. God is love. (1 John 4:8) God gives good gifts. (James 1:17) God gave us His Son. (John 3:16) You can give without loving but you can’t love without giving. 2. Focus on HEALING rather than HURTING. You’re going to get hurt by people, even those who love you deeply. It’s how you handle the hurt that makes the difference Human nature is to hold on to the hurt. Forgive because you’ve been forgiven (Colossians 3:13) There’s no value in obsessing over pain. 3. Focus on GOD’S POWER rather than YOUR PROBLEMS. Trust in God at all times. (Psalm 62:8) He’s in control, can repair every hurt, and can help even when the situation seems hopeless. Focusing on your problems will make you miserable. Focusing on your faith in Jesus and His power will bring joy. God created you for more. He created you for purpose. He created you for joy. Life is more than the feelings that we have. It’s about living with devotion and not emotion. As you start doing these things, you’re going to find more joy in your life.