Joy…………..

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             Have you ever had one of those weeks that everything goes wrong and when people look at you they see it.   Well I have been told by several people that I had one of those weeks…  I hate it when it shows that much and I let it seep out to those around me…   Just WRONG—-
          My co-worker (Al) gave me a coffee cup for Christmas and it has in bold letters on two sides – “JOY”.   He pointed at it this week and reminded me of what it meant and why he gave it to me – I am not to let anyone steal my Joy.  He was so right – I was letting the circumstances of life steal my Joy.   There is only one person that can allow Joy to be taken from me and that is ME>>>
           I looked up a couple of references on the topic of Joy and this is what inspired me once again to make sure that those around me see the Joy in me.

 What is Joy?    The goal of every Christian should not be happiness because the Bible never promises happiness to the believer but joy, which is a totally different story.  While happiness is temporary and is based upon happenings, joy is from the Lord and you can still experience joy during trials, suffering, and testing.  Joy is permanent but happiness is fleeting

Nehemiah 8:10 – Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

    After having an extremely bad day this week, I had to sit down with my Boss and talk about what I was experiencing.   I brought my Joy cup to the meeting – can you see where this is going.   I explained to my Boss about the cup and explained that I cannot let people still my joy and that included the people I encounter at work.  It worked – my Joy came back and I finished the week WELL.  The Joy of the Lord is my Strength and I have to remember that whatever I am going through – my focus needs to be on Him.
          I do have to share one thing:   When you tell someone that you are not going to let them steal your Joy, it changes how they treat you.  “AMAZING”   –   I have done that a couple of times now and the Joy from the Lord is passed on to them. 

So how is your week going – have you lost your Joy?

Is your strength coming from “The Joy of the Lord”?

Let those around you that seem to steal your Joy know that they cannot have it!!!

Bobbyg