Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. 1 Thess 5:16 (MSG)
A Holy Form of Rebellion – Finding Joy Series – Part 7
Go to PART 1 | PART 2 | PART 3 | PART 4 | PART 5 | PART 6 | PART 7
In your pursuit of happiness, don’t neglect the presence of joy, who is with you whether you realize it or not, whether your circumstances are auspicious or not. The joy of the Lord is your strength through it all and can be found in presence: the authentic communion between you and God and others. A trinity of connection; a divine flow of community.
Practice it, through repetition and ritual. And use joy as a holy form of rebellion against the hateful dark that wants to divide us all.
Don’t know how to find joy? Where to start?
In “The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World,” Douglas Carlton Abrams said:
“When you are grateful, you are not fearful,' Brother Steindl-Rast explained, ‘and when you are not fearful, you are not violent. When you are grateful, you act out of a sense of enough and not out of a sense of scarcity, and you are willing to share. If you are grateful, you are enjoying the differences between people and respectful to all people. The grateful world is a world of joyful people. Grateful people are joyful people. A grateful world is a happy world.”
Perhaps this is along the lines of what Paul meant when he wrote to his friends in Thessalonica and said:
“Look for the best in each other, and always do your best to bring it out. Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live.” (1 Thess 5:15-18 MSG).
Want to find Joy?
SUNDAY CHALLENGE:
Start with gratefulness.
What are you grateful for?
Every morning, when Jesse (husband) wakes, he lists three things that he’s grateful for. He uses the “Five-minute Journal.” On the path of gratefulness, he’s discovering more joy. It’s a practice that takes practice, but it's worthy work.
Joy and peace,
More tomorrow…
Written by Lizzy
Find us:
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Twitter: @lizzymilani @jessemilani and @pktfuel
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