Psalm 17:22 A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.
Psalm 47:1 Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy.
John 15:11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.
Romans 15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
A joyful heart is good medicine. Take if from me. I’m a family nurse practitioner! LOL. But seriously though, it really is. No matter what is going on around me, no matter how bad things appear, there is still joy that only comes from Christ in my heart. It is that joy that I cling to daily.
I’ll admit that there are days that I don’t wake up all grins and giggles. Some mornings, I need an extra strong cup of coffee to get me started, but then the joy of Jesus gets me going!
How does one get joy? How does one keep joy? Well, the answer is simple. Joy is found in the presence of Jesus. No matter what is going on, no matter how hard things get, no matter how big and bad the events of the world are, we can still find joy when we are in Christ.
I’ve been asked many times through the years why I am always smiling or how do I keep a positive attitude when things look grim. I love the line from the movie “Elf”, “I just like smiling. Smiling’s my favorite.” I love to smile, and I know that it is because I have Jesus in my heart. I have complete faith in Christ, and I know that no matter what is going on, I’m His and He is mine.
Peeps, life is hard, and it seems to be getting harder with each passing minute. Happiness fades in the midst of the troubles we encounter, but joy remains. If we remain in Christ, He remains in us. His joy also remains in us.
Don’t let the trials of the day get you down. Start each day with a cup of coffee and quiet time with Jesus. By growing closer to Christ each day, the joy within us grows and suddenly no matter the circumstances, we find that we have joy overflowing. Joy flows out through our words, our actions, and our love for others. Then, others will see that joy is overflowing from you, and they’ll want some of that joy too. They’ll even ask you where your joy comes from, and then you can tell them: Jesus. There is joy to be found in Jesus! Keep going to the throne of Christ. Keep studying His Word. Keep speaking to Him. Let the joy of Jesus overflow from you!
Inspirations from the Funny Farm 