How do you choose joy?

No really...how do YOU choose J - O - Y?  :)

Recently, I was part of a group devotion on joy.  There was lots of talking about how joy is different than happiness...
Joy is deeper than happiness, more abundant than pleasures, more exciting than thrills, and richer than excitement...it's long-lasting, never-failing, deeply rooted in our hearts and where there is joy...there is also peace.  (As someone who is anxiety prone, just typing and reading the word peace...makes the tightness in my chest subside...just a little...for just a moment. ;) )

Joy is a condition and attitude of the heart...it's much more than a feeling which is fleeting, flaky, unreliable, and non-committal (feelings come and go).

Where does this unending, unshakable supply of joy come from?  All that comes to mind is that childhood song, "I've got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart", "where?", "down in my heart to stay!"

I confess, I have a lot of work to do before I could say that I am a habitual chooser of joy.  But I know that continually pursuing Christ and surrendering my burdens and worries to him is the only way.  Further it's easy enough to be joyful during the happy, trial-free chapters of life...but it takes a great deal more faith to trust Him during the difficult and dark times...when you feel all alone...like God is silent, distant, or doesn't care.

Choosing joy may simply come down to where your focus lies.  Are you focused on you, what you should get, didn't get, want to have, "need" to experience, desire for yourself or your family...?  Or is your focus on Christ --  His holiness, His power, His grace, His ability to do immeasureably more than we could ask for or imagine...?  It's probably safe for me to say (about myself) that selfishness is what gets in the way of my joy more often than not.

I don't see myself ever getting a tattoo...I suppose I feel a little like God already gave me all the permanent marks he wants me to have on my body...but the bigger issue is probably that I have a hard time thinking of something I would want for-EVER nor can I identify a part of my body that I want altered for-EVER.  That said -- I did come across this tattoo and found it both neat and appropriate for today's blog :)



Recently, I've begun setting aside larger chunks of time for intentional prayer each morning and instead of presenting my grocery list of requests for God...I've shifted my focus to prayers of thanks for all I am blessed with and all He has given me.  It's a special time each day now to just sit in His presence and soak up the abundance in my life...

So back to my question for this blog post - how do YOU choose joy?  :)

Habakkuk 3:18   I will take joy in the God of my salvation