Seek the Joy!

"These things I have spoken unto you, that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full." --John 15:11

I was re-reading some of Grace Rules by Steve McVey tonight and came across somethings that helped me. It has been a kinda strange couple of days in my life. I think I'm struggling somewhat because another friend has lost a parent, which seems to happening all too often.

Steve McVey writes in this book:

There is a tragic lack of joy in the lives of many believers today because they are willing to settle for happiness. Happiness depends on happenings. A person is happy when the circumstances of life are to his liking. While pursuing happiness is the primary goal for many Christians, it isn't a high priority to God for us to be happy. He wants to give us joy. Happiness depends on external circumstances; joy runs much deeper than that. Happiness comes from outside into us, but joy comes from the inside out. It is a pleasure that flows from our innermost being--an inner sense of well-being and contentment produced by an awareness of our union with Jesus Christ. Joy is unaffected by our surroundings.

Joy has no relationship to happiness. Consider Paul's time in jail at Philippi. He wasn't happy to be there. Jail was no thrill for him. Yet the theme of his letter to the Philippians was that of rejoicing. He wonderfully demonstrated that a person can experience joy without happiness.--

I got robbed of my joy today. I let my circumstance get the best of me. These words have given me something to put ahead of my circumstances this week. Seek the Joy!