Joy Stirred Up

As a child, I loved drinking chocolate milk made with two spoons of powdered cocoa. Although the cocoa and milk were both in my cup, it was necessary to stir the two ingredients together to get the rich chocolatey taste. Similarly, the joy of the Lord is in you, but sometimes we have to stir it up intentionally.

God knows our joy is vulnerable to being suppressed when tragedy strikes, rejection stings, illness comes, or never-ending problems seem hopeless with no end in sight. That’s why in the Bible, He tells us how to stir up our joy. There are over 100 verses about joy and rejoicing in the Bible! For example, Philippians 4:4 says, "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!" Rejoice means to give joy to, to stir up the joy. This verse is telling us that in God, we can stir up joy always, at all times, even when times are tough.

Fortunately, God doesn’t give us this instruction and then leaves us to figure out the how on our own. Here are six Bible-based strategies to stir up joy:

1. Ask God to restore the joy of being in a relationship with Jesus. Do you remember when you got saved? You were filled with joy. That same joy is available to us daily. (Psalm 51:12)
2. Talk to Jesus: Pray daily and throughout the day—not only at set times or during major life events. Prayer establishes a connection with God so He can fill our hearts with joy. (Philippians 4:4, 6).
3. Filter our thoughts. If we want to increase our joy, we must change how we think. We must keep our minds on the right things. (Philippians 4:8)
4. Receive God’s peace. We can give God all our worries and cares and make room for a peace that only Jesus, the Prince of Peace, can give. (Philippians 4:6-7;1 Peter 5:7)
5. Stay connected to Jesus. Joy comes from and because of Him. He is the source of all joy. (John 15:11)
6. Listen to music. Turn up a praise song and dance before the Lord. Dancing before the Lord is sure to activate joy. (Psalm 149:3

Passage

Philippians 4:4-8; Psalm 51:12; 1 Peter 5:7; John 15:11; Nehemiah 8:10; Psalm 149:3

Ponder

What situations in your own life are trying to extinguish your joy? How can you stir up joy?

Pray

Dear Lord, I long to feel happy and joyful. I know it is not Your will that I face the day with dread and trepidation. Lord, show me how to apply these strategies and stir up joy today.