Choosing to be joyful is just that - a choice. No one can choose it for you or force it on you. It has to be in your hands. It's kind of like a child who won't eat the broccoli on her plate ... you can bribe, plead, cry and complain that you want that child to eat that broccoli - but in the end, you can't force her to do it, she has to choose it. You CAN seek help, from our heavenly Father or the support of family & friends. But ultimately each day we are faced with a choice - to choose joy or not to choose joy.
The hard thing is that our lives are full of things and situations that threaten to steal our joy. In fact, it can daily weigh us down simply by noticing the very sinful world around us. There have been times when listening to the news or reading the newspaper have gotten me so down in the dumps that I wonder why we're really here at all. So much pain, suffering and crime abounds in our culture. It's truly disheartening at times.
Another thing that daily threatens my joy is just general family life. The mundane tasks of cleaning and cleaning and re-cleaning. The daily reminders to my girls to 'be kind to one another'. The constant feeling of being overwhelmed with trying to balance it all. Being a Mom requires a lot of us and it can all be a bit too heavy at times - am I right? These are the things that *try really hard* to steal my joy each day. And let's be honest, sometimes they are successful and I allow myself to feel overwhelmed, exhausted, weary in doing those daily tasks over and over and over again - and NOT being joyful in the process!
One of the things I noticed in the things you ladies shared was that several people made the comment that it has to be a daily choice for you. I gotta tell ya girls, I am the SAME WAY. I can very easily be swayed to and fro by the way I feel each day. Whether I'm grumpy or tired or just feeling the strain of trying to get it all done, there are many days when my choice is not a joyful one. I allow my feelings or my circumstances to guide my attitude and it leads me down a path that is the opposite direction of joy.
Just today my husband and I were reflecting on a time a few years ago where we struggled with our oldest daughter. When she was around 4 or 5 she went through several months when she was just mad at the world a lot of the time. Oh sure, she put on a happy face at school, with friends, at church and with family. But at home she was miserable and mean and she always seemed mad. We worried over her and wondered what we were doing wrong and why she was acting this way. And EVERY single day I would say to her, "You need to choose a good attitude today."
Some days I have to give myself that little pep talk as well - Kathy, you need to CHOOSE a good attitude today! There are some days that if I didn't consciously CHOOSE it, I would easily stay in my cranky place all.day.long. And really, who wants to live with a wife or mother who lives there??!!
Today's Challenge: Is joy your daily choice or do you allow what happens in your day to govern how you feel and act? If joy is not your first response, or if you struggle to choose it on most days, think of some ways that you can remind yourself. Post verses around your home or work. Find sayings and quotes about joy and hang them in your home. Remind yourself daily just how much you have to be grateful for. And never forget that by choosing joy yourself you are setting the very best example for your kids.
1 comment:
I remember when I was pregnant, I could not watch the news because it would make me so upset that I would become ill. So I started watching programs about the birth of babies, I think on TLC, and I calmed down quite a bit.
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