Irony. I've said many times that God's got it and once again He is showing me His irony. It really does make me love Him all the more when I can appreciate His irony. Who would want a God that they can't relate to and connect with? After all, we are made in His image. And I believe God has a great sense of humor and I can see His hands in my life all the more clearly with the irony.
So what's so ironic do you ask?
The word God has given to me for 2022 is ironic. Not actually ironic because wouldn't that be hilarious but I'll share the actual word in just a minute. My word has come with irony attached to it considering how 2022 is starting.
In case you don't know what I mean by my word, I'll give a little back story. About 10 years ago we heard an amazing sermon that encouraged us to start praying a week or 2 before the end of the year. Specifically to ask God what word He wanted us to focus on, meditate on. A word to study, a word to remember, a word to bring to mind when things seemed not to make sense. A word that would remind us of Who is in control and what His promises are.
Last year my word was OBEDIENCE. Yeah, you read that right. And believe me, I had the same reaction. I did a big eye roll and thought oh great, what is to come in 2021, ha! Just like always, God knew the best things for me and for my family. Sometimes it didn't make sense, sometimes it was painful, and sometimes it was easy. But no matter what, I came back to my OBEDIENCE in Christ. You can read about my reaction and the true definition of OBEDIENCE here.
You can probably guess my word for 2022 based on the title of this post. But that doesn't mean I didn't drag my feet on it the first time it popped in my head. I kept telling everyone in my family, "I think my word is JOY for this year but I am just not sure yet." HA! I knew better. The Lord and I have too close of a relationship to pretend that He wasn't the one that whispered that word to me.
BUT JOOOOOY. I definitely whined a little when I finally accepted this. I am stubborn and have a strong personality and thankfully God never puts up with my shenanigans. So JOY it is. I prayed a lot leading up to December 31 and told God that I would give it all I have to find JOY whatever comes in 2022.
Don't get me wrong. I fully know God accepts my hurt, anger, sadness, disappointments and questions. So I know He isn't asking me to sugar coat everything and live in lala land. JOY is so much deeper than that. JOY is a discipline.
What do I mean by discipline? I don't mean a discipline like I am being punished. I mean a discipline like remembering to take your medicine every day, or the discipline of working out, or reading your Bible consistently. Those are true disciplines. They take commitment and you have to intentionally do them. It is rare that they come naturally especially in the beginning of the discipline being learned.
But this is a discipline I want. Joy is something I want to default to. You know I looked and looked for a definition of joy that I liked, that satisfied all the things I think true joy encompasses and I couldn't find it. That's never happened to me before. Somewhere, at sometime, over the centuries, some great person before me has inevitably defined the word I am looking for in the exact words I am feeling. And thanks to GOOGLE I find the quote and BOOM have the source I need! But not this time.
Which made me think, if everyone has their own interpretation of what JOY is, then it must be one of the mysteries of God. We all know the basic definition of course: joy goes beyond our circumstance to give us contentment in any and all circumstances. But anyone who has JOY IN CHRIST knows it is so much more than that. And in my opinion, it is way too much to put into a simple definition or quote. Which means that JOY IN CHRIST, true joy, must be a living joy. Like the Word of God is a living thing, ever changing and teaching us, joy is also a living thing always fulfilling the need whether it be practical, emotional, spiritual, or physical.
Here's a few samples of the definitions of joy I found:
A grateful heart
Assurance that God is in control
The negativity remedy
Our inside voice
The constant presence of God
Habit of Happiness
Choosing gratitude
Living Satisfied
My resting place
Good feeling produced by the Holy Spirit
Not one of these tidbits is wrong or inaccurately paints a picture of joy. But I couldn't use just one to define it. I need all of them and more. Joy in Jesus is so much more. Which brings me back to the point that JOY must be a living gift God has given us.
I started my year, my 2022, with covid. I still have it as I write this. You can understand my comment on irony now right, ha! Weeks before I knew I was sick or that it would turn out to be covid, God gave me my word, JOY. And I surrendered myself and told Him, I would commit to my discipline of joy, in all circumstances.
Joy doesn't look the same in every circumstance. Already this year, a friend lost a baby. Another friend had a remembrance for the one year loss of her husband. And my best friend had to say goodbye to her daughter as she went back to her dad's house for another 5 months.
Every one of these circumstances has pain, every one is a reminder of what won't be.
A child not growing up.
A couple not growing old together.
A marriage that broke.
Is JOY possible in these circumstances for my friends? For my friend who lost her baby, could joy be her resting place. The place she finds comfort, strength, peace, and a love that knows no bounds. For the wife that lost her husband, could joy be; a grateful heart for the years she did have, for the love she did know, and for the assurance that one day they will be reunited. For my best friend, could joy be; living in the constant assurance that God is in control, that He knows what is best, and that He sees the big picture when she can not.
The answer is yes, JOY can be these things to them and more. The main point is that joy is not fleeting. What joy does for me or for you may be different but the concept is the same. True JOY IN CHRIST fulfills needs that nothing else can. That is what makes it living. JOY is the presence of God in your life. God is the only one who can fulfill everything you need, when you need it, even when you didn't know that's what you needed!
JOY won't be easy. But in all honesty, no word He has given me has been easy. And I believe that may be the point. I need God to get through my year and He knows what my focus will need to be. And JOY in Him is where I'll be looking for 2022. Irony and all!
If you made it this far, you are amazing and thank you! As always, I think of you, my readers, and pray for you daily. Xx
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