Don’t Give Away Your Joy

Recently I have been trying to remember to not give my joy away. Yes you read that right – not give my joy away. Let me explain. Joy is that feeling inside that springs from a contentment in who you are, not in what you have or in what you have accomplished. As a Christian I am content in who I am because God has accepted me just as I am in his son. Therefore I have joy. No one can rob me of my joy because no one can change who I am in God’s eyes. No thing can rob me of my joy – no circumstance, no political post, no one cutting me off in traffic, no problem. The only thing that can take away my joy is me giving it away. If I choose to give my joy away by how I react to the circumstances of life, it’s my fault. But if, when faced with whatever circumstance, I choose to stay focused on who I am, I will remain in joy. As Christians we are supposed to overflow with joy and in that way of course we are to share our joy with everyone around us. However, we are not to give it away and forget who we are in God’s eyes. When I am walking my dog, Barnabas, and he becomes agitated by a circumstance of life, all I have to do is quietly call his name. When he hears my voice he is immediately reminded that he is in my presence and his peace and contentment returns. God has been reminding me of his still small voice, reminding me of his presence and restoring me to the joy of his salvation. Don’t give away your joy.