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Your Ticket to Joy
by Stasi Eldredge
In this crazy
world we find ourselves living in, the prospect of experiencing joy often seems
out of reach.
To have joy in
the midst of sorrow can feel impossible when your never-ending newsfeed is
packed with photos of happy, smiling people enjoying their date night or
vacation.
But joy is
meant to be ours, and it’s a joy that stands defiant in the face of this broken
world.
In every
situation, our hearts are to echo the heartbeat of our joyous God.
Circumstantial
Happiness
Often, we
confuse joy with happiness.
I’m happy when
I wake up and realize it’s not Monday, but Saturday – I have a day off!
I’m happy when
someone brings me a cup of coffee.
I’m happy when
I get a birthday card.
In contrast,
I’m sad when a vacation is over. I’m sad when I mishandle the heart of a
friend. I’m sad when no one remembers my birthday.
Don’t get me
wrong. I love being happy. But happiness is unpredictable.
It feels
vulnerable because it’s tied to my circumstances, which are constantly
changing.
Do you know
what I mean? One day you’re up, but the next day you’re down.
Joy Rooted in
God’s Presence
True joy is
firmer, richer, and less vulnerable than happiness.
I’m happy when
my family goes out for ice cream, but it would seem a little overblown to say
I’m filled with joy because of it.
But I was
joyful at all three of my sons’ weddings.
I also was
filled with joy over the birth of our granddaughters.
And joy flooded
my heart when a dear friend was cleared of cancer.
I don’t think
it was mere happiness, for my joy felt rooted in the very presence of God.
Joy is not
happiness on steroids. It is something entirely different, made up of its own
unique substance.
Joy is
connected to God and reserved for those who are tapping into His reservoir, who
are connected to His life.
Joy is rooted
in God and His Kingdom, in the surety of His goodness and His love for us.
It is
immovable. Unshakeable.
It is available
at all times, day and night, because God and His Kingdom are always available
to us.
The Heartbeat
of Heaven
I’m ready to
get off the roller coaster of happiness and have my heart grounded in the
higher place of joy. I bet you are too.
Who among us
doesn’t want more joy in their life?
In their work?
In their marriage? In their relationships? With their children? In their quiet
moments alone?
If joy is a
fruit of the Spirit (and it is), then we are meant to experience it and enjoy
it, regardless of our circumstances.
I’m convinced
that joy is the heartbeat of Heaven, the very light that emanates from Jesus’
heart.
This means as
we grow closer in relationship with God, we’ll also grow in our joy.
We’ll see that
He’s not spending time anxiously wringing His hands, as we are sometimes prone
to do.
Our Father’s
joy is never up for grabs. Rather, His joy is unchangeable, just as He Himself
is. It’s an essential part of His very person.
So, I want to
be rooted and grounded in joy. That’s what I believe God is calling you to
experience as well.
Will you give
yourself permission to enter into His joy today?
Stasi
Eldredge founded
Ransomed Heart Ministries along with her husband John. Learn more at RansomedHeart.com.
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