Yesterday during our worship gathering our pastor said something I cannot get out of my head. "We are responsible for our own joy." It is a quote from somebody, but I didn't catch the name. The whole point of the quote--or at least from my perspective--was that joy shouldn't be situational if you are a believer and follower of Jesus. The reality of God's grace and forgiveness and love are meant to be things that fill us with JOY regardless of our daily circumstances and challenges. He mentioned how often people come back from mission work or humanitarian aid trips saying "the people have literally nothing and yet they're so joyful."
Rather than use this sentiment as a means to activate our guilty conscience though, last night was about discovering the cause for that difference. And encouraging us all to work harder at cultivating that joy. We didn't get asked for more money or to volunteer at a fundraiser; we were asked instead to draw near to the God of the universe and live joyfully. He mentioned how much he hoped we could all learn to do this, because he feels certain a community of otherwise "normal" people in our city living in manifest joy would be transformational to our city.
It is the kind of idea that I love to savor and chew on awhile, and then apply somehow. I'll get to work on the chewing but feel free to share your thoughts on how to apply it.
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