JOY IS A CHOICE

Looking back over my life as a Christian I am reminded of the many things that have helped me. Of all the things that could be mentioned, nothing has helped me more than God’s Word. And, one of the most helpful portions is found in Philippines 4. It has been helpful because it teaches us how to have joy inspite of our tendency to worry. Here we see Paul’s command (vs. 4); counsel (vs.6-8); challenge (vs.9); choice (vs.10); contentment (vs.11-12); and confidence (vs. 13,19). It’s easy to see that joy demands a choice on my part. If I don’t have it I have no one to blame but myself. I am obligated to “rejoice in the Lord”(Vs.4). So are you!

Charles Swidoll gives us these insightful words:

I have discovered that a joyful countenance has nothing to do with one’s age or one’s occupation (or lack of it) or one’s geography or education or marital status or good looks or circumstances. Joy is a choice!

Joy is a matter of attitude that stems from one’s confidence in God—that He is at work, that He is in full control, that He is in the midst of whatever has happened, is happening, and will happen. Either we fix our minds on that and determine to laugh again, or we wail and whine our way through life, complaining that we never got a fair shake. We are the ones who consciously determine which way we shall go. To paraphrase the poet:

One ship sails east
One ship sails west
Regardless of how the winds blow.
It is the set of the sail
And not the gale
That determines the way we go.
(Ella Wheeler Wilcox)

Regardless of how severely the winds of adversity may blow, 
we set our sails toward joy.