Choose Surrender Day 31: Joy in our heart

When you were a young child, I bet many of you, like me, sang the song... "I've got that joy, joy, joy, joy, down in my heart. Down in my heart. Down in my heart. I've got that joy, joy, joy, joy, down in my heart. Down in my heart to stay!

Down in my heart to stay...

There is a difference between happiness and joy. Happiness is something that can come and go...and may even last for a moment in time. Happiness is being content and satisfied. I don't know about you, but I want to feel more than contentment and satisfaction in my life. 

Joy on the other hand is great delight, a euphoria.  When we find true joy, it will last forever. It lasts forever, because it is found when we surrender our life to God. I have personally found this confusing, because I know through hard times in my life, I have questioned whether I have lost that joy in my heart. 

In the book Choose Joy: Finding Hope and Purpose When Life Hurts,Sara provides us with her personal definition of joy. "The unwavering trust that God knows what He is doing and has blessed me with the opportunity to be a part of it. Not despite what is happening in my life, but because of it. When everything earthly feels heavy, He gives me an internal lightness that can't be touched."

Unwavering trust that God knows what He is doing. I would equate this statement to surrendering to God's will for our lives...even when it is hard.

When life is hard, I find myself questioning whether I have lost the joy in my heart because I don't feel the joy. Instead of questioning and trying to control the sorrow and pain. I must surrender it to Him. I must give Him my unwavering trust and just be with Him. Remember...Faith is believing without seeing and feeling. 

James 1:2-4 tells us to "consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

The joy down in our heart doesn't mean we are exempt from sadness or hurt. It is during those times that if we surrender ourselves to Him, we will find joy. He promises us His favor is for a lifetime; weeping may last for the night, but a shout of joy comes in the morning. (Psalm 30:5).

It is when we fully surrender to Him that we will have that joy, joy, joy, joy, down in our heat to stay.