5 Ways to Choose Joy

THE POSITIVELY JOY TEACHABLE

5

WAYS TO CHOOSE JOY By Yvette Walker

WHAT IF WE CAN CHOOSE JOY JUST BY BELIEVING? By Yvette Walker During the beginning of pandemic shutdowns, I worked from home. Every day I got up, made the bed, fed my four-footed kids (two cats, one dog) and came into the dining room. I don’t know why, but the dining table became my makeshift desktop. I opened my laptop, logged on and began the day. I’m a bit of a homebody, so I loved the arrangement, even though I’m an extrovert and missed the company of my coworkers and students. Since day one I’ve had some regular visitors: the birds. These busybodies love to talk, and it is a sound of … well, if I had to describe it … a sound of pure joy. From outside my window I hear chirps and twitters, caws and beeps. It’s a majestic symphony outside my window. I wonder, are the birds really singing for joy, praising the heavens, even? Do birds even have joy? Maybe. Some ornithologists have proposed that birds may sing for pleasure. Bird expert Melissa Mayntz wrote for TheSpruce.com that it is possible that birds enjoy their own sounds, as well as singing with other birds that respond to the birdsong. She also says that more research is needed on bird emotions” to verify this, but it’s an inspiring theory to think that birds do sing for the joy of it.

What if we can choose joy by trusting in God? And, Mayntz says, they sing for lots of reasons – to find mates, territory disputes and even at “funerals,” where some birds group around a fallen friend, mate or chick.

ONE WAY WE CAN CHOOSE JOY IS TO BELIEVE. JESUS TELLS US HOW IN JOHN 8.

It’s easy to put human emotions on animals, but as we move into upcoming seasons I have been thinking about joy – and the absence of it. I think it’s mostly because of the circumstances our country finds itself in. I also know that God is the answer. Jesus says in John 8:36 (NIV) “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” One way we can choose joy is to believe. The rest of Jesus’ quote in John 8 goes on to tell us how to believe. "Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." Jesus says being a slave means not being a part of his family, and having no room for His word. But if we believe He set us free by dying on the cross for our sins, then we ARE part of his family and we should want to make room for his word. And we should not delay. But how?

5 TIPS FOR CREATING FAITHFUL HABITS

ToÂ choose joy means to make a choice. And that choice starts with a habit.Â When you are trying to quit smoking or lose weight, experts say it takes 21 days to make a habit stick. And that's trying to do something hard! Making time for Jesus isn't hard! It's easy, once we get used to creating some time in our day for His word. Here's how to do it.

1. Create an atmosphere that makes it easy to choose joy. Create a faithful habit: Get up one hour early and go to bed one hour early. Spend this extra time reading God's word, straight out of the Bible, or through a devotional or journal. When you wake, greet the day by saying "good morning" to God. Keep a reminder on your nightstand if you think you won't remember. Create an area in your home for a place to meet God. In the Old Testament it was called the "tent of meeting." In your home, it can be a chair in a corner, or a room dedicated to meeting with God.

2. Create a quiet place In this place you have designated, quiet your mind and calm your spirit. Ask God to speak to you. In a journal, notebook or sheets of paper, write down the words he gives you. Reflect on these words throughout the day.