i consider myself a lover, so the word fighting doesn't conjure up warm and fuzzies for me. i think of pain, fear, death, insecurity....none of which are my top party talk topics.
joy on the other hand is how i feel when i see a beautiful image of my kids. or when i look at sharon across a crowded room to see her laugh and smile with her friends. or when i look at the bean and remember how far she's come.
but fighting for joy?
sharon made that statement to me last week and i've been thinking about it ever since. as a rule, we are happy people. we are half full. grateful for how god has and is directing our path, daily. content and happy. crazy, but joyful. now, obviously life has it's share of ups and downs, but i think for most of us (especially living in the u.s.) if we really thought about it for a second, we'd realize that we are truly blessed in abundance. but it's so easy to see what you don't have. isn't it? so easy to tune into the next thing, or the better car, or the bigger house, or the more prestigious career. if we aren't careful, we can get bogged down in that rat race of an existence and begin every day fighting more. but really, what we should fight for is joy.
every day this week, let's make it our first thought when we wake up. let's say to our self, "self...today i'm going to fight for joy. today, i'm going to put my energy into chasing after it with all that i have...no matter what my circumstance. i know my situation does not determine it....so i'm going to go for it. i'm going to fight! because if there's one thing worth fighting for...it's joy."
2 comments:
I think that this blog speaks of intentionality. For me, fighting has been positive in my life; fighting to overcome evil; fighting for healthy living and peace, trudging up through the mud to find clear water. But fighting cannot continue. It is a means to an end. One must find a resting place; a place you are calling joy. You are right, once joy is felt and appreciated and realized, the fighting ceases.
I'm not sure Sarah... I know where my joy comes from. I know the source of my joy and happiness. I know that the ultimate battle has been won, but many days this past year I've have had to fight for joy. We wouldn't be instructed in the Bible to "Put on the full armor of God" if we are supposed to stop fighting. That is, fight for the things worth fighting for. Joy to me is worth fighting for. Fighting the things of this earth/life that try and keep my eyes and heart away from focusing on what the prize is.
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