A few wise people recently gave me a tape of a sermon that they insisted that I listen to. At first I wasn’t sure why they were so insistent, but then I stopped and looked around.
I have been grumpy. Really grumpy. And what for? A number of things have been weighing on me as of late, including traveling, the office, the chaos of my house….a few little things. These things have affected my happiness, but somehow, they managed to affect more than that.
Happiness, as a matter of clarification, comes primarily from external circumstances, events, and such. Things like making my house clean, making people happy, and spending time with friends make me happy.
Joy, however, is something completely different. Joy is internal. It should not be affected by the external things that happiness is so often tossed around with. Joy sits in that place in your heart where hope and love live. And much like hope and love, joy is one of those things that is much too easily forgotten somehow. We forget where it comes from, or rather Who it comes from, and what it feels like.
So, I have decided, thanks to those wise people and that little sermon tape, that it is time to get a grip on life’s perspective. No matter how crummy a job or office dynamic becomes, or how messy a home becomes, or how long a week is on the road. Throughout it all, I still have joy. With joy in the forefront, these crummy things just aren’t so bad. They can’t be. With a heart of joy, even the worst situations can viewed as positives.
Now, I won’t claim that this new perspective will take place overnight. It is not so easy. This will take some thought and persistence. In a world where joy is not even a recognized emotion, I will need to strive to make it central to my life. Think about it. Even if things aren’t great, they could still be good. And I’d really like for my life to be good again…joyful.
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