"Be joyful always." First time I read this line from the Bible, it made me think how can it be possible to remain joyful when a lotta factors affect one's mood? Who wants to be sad and negative, anyway? I am certain that everyone would rather want to always feel happiness. Nobody hankers to feel annoyed, nor frustrated, nor fearful...not any bad and negative feelings. It is happiness and everything it brings which people desire. Yet things happen. Situations beyond our control influence our state. Traffic, other people's irresponsibility and inconsideration, accidents, mishaps, delays...these are but just some of the countless things we are often forced to face even we refuse to. No matter how we try hard to avoid certain things and situation that steal happiness, they simply show up―uninvited.
This is the reality, which should not anymore come to us as a surprise since Jesus already warned all us that "in this life, we will have many troubles". Both good and bad situations co-exist with us. They come around. We can't wish all the good for ourselves and the bad to disappear. The fight to maintain inner peace and joy in order to remain in the state of happiness is not in the WISHING for things to happen according to our comfort, but in the CHOOSING to be comfortable in the midst of discomfort. Happiness is a choice that should not be dependent on outward situation; it is a result of being fully decided to remain happy regardless of what life presents.
Being and staying happy is hard work. Doesn't come in a silver platter. This is the reality. One can never be happy by simply waiting for his her situation to get better. Unkind and inconsiderate people are everywhere, the Sun's heat burns the skin, some places are simply chaotic and stinky, rush hours get you stuck, computer acts up when you badly need to meet a deadline, network service is poor, cashier crew moves so slow, someone not deserving gets promoted instead of you, you're always the subject of gossip-mongers...none of these things is within anyone's control. Nobody likes any of these. But these are realities. And whining about things you have no control over only aggravates the frustration which already has built its nook inside of you. By wishing things to be different, we are only painting mental pictures of how things could have been better had they been the way we think they should be, yet nothing gets fixed. It only makes us resent things even more. We only get more frustrated at how things are going wrong around us. But it's not the things around us that's wrong. It is us. Our perspectives...
We are wrong for...
expecting the world to adjust for us.
demanding for a better world.
allowing our emotions dictate how we should feel and behave.
making things outside of ourselves accountable to our own happiness.
making people responsible for our misery.
But the truth really is...
The world came before us. It has no obligation to make us happy.
There is nothing wrong in the world. It just exists and revolves as designed.
Our emotions were never our masters. We just give them the upper hand.
Our happiness is ours. It's within. Situations come and go. They mind no one. They don't happen to deliberately make anyone suffer. They don't connive to make sure our day is ruined.
It is not another person's responsibility to make us happy. It's our own responsibility to ourselves.
Simply put, we just behave so entitled. Just because we exist we think things should go our way. The way that is convenient and comfortable for us. But, in the bigger scheme of things, we are not all that matters. The world won't stop just because we're annoyed for every single unpleasant thing that happens to us. The world won't be sorry that we are always displeased. The world won't turn itself into our slave just for us to be always happy. It's not how things go.
The Bible tells us to "Always be joyful. Always keep on praying. No matter what happens, always be thankful, for this is God’s will for you..." [1 Thessalonians 5:16-18]
It is not God's obligation to keep us happy. He is not our slave that when we want something, we go to Him and order Him to do for us what will satisfy us, and then we will be happy. No, the Word is clear, it is His will for us to maintain joy in our hearts no matter the circumstance; to be thankful in all situations; and to pray unceasingly. There is nowhere in the lines nor in the entire passage that God tells us to be joyful, thankful, and prayerful only in this or that condition. We were told to ALWAYS choose these things regardless of what the world throws at us...and I believe the reason is because being joyful, thankful and prayerful prove that we have faith in Him. That our inner peace rests in His Truth and not in the things around us. That we place our trust not in "chariots and horses". Our focus is not in the receiving all that we long for, but in simply waiting for His daily supplication. That we love Him even when we are denied the comfort, the material blessings, anything that brings smile to our faces.
Faith in God is tested not in believing that God will simply do what we ask Him to do for us; but in trusting that whether He gives what we ask for or not, we hold true in our hearts that He is good and faithful, and that His love endures forever. We trust Him with His answer―whether yes or no, when, and how―His term and not our terms. Besides, the Bible tells us that God will give us what we ask for in prayer according to His will. If we say that He is God, then we oughta leave to Him the decision to grant or deny our requests. And our response must show humility ― "not my will but Yours be done."
So, if we truly trust His answer, we will express a thankful and joyful heart. Just like when King David finally received God's answer to his prayer and fasting. He pleaded for his child's life. When God gave His answer, even it was a NO, he got up, fixed himself, gave thanks, and went on with the day. (2 Samual 12:14-31).
It is our duty to maintain a happy heart. We must not look for reasons to be joyful and thankful. We must learn to delight ourselves in the Lord (Psalm 37:4). The Word did not tell us only once to remain joyful...
In the book of Romans,
"rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer."
In Philippians 4:4,
"rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice"
In the book of James,
"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,
for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.
And
let steadfastness have its full effect,
that you may be perfect and
complete, lacking in nothing"
In 1 Peter 4:13,
"But you should be happy that you are sharing in Christ’s sufferings."
The Word tells us to be joyful/happy...even in difficult and trying situations. The command is to BE JOYFUL ALWAYS. How? By praying and asking for humility and for grace to obey this command. Why humility? Because when we understand that we deserve NOTHING, yet we receive many wonderful things, we will eventually learn how to accept that both good and bad things will be given to us. Therefore, we will readily receive even the unpleasant things with equal thanksgiving and joy the same as when we receive pleasant ones.
"The humble will see their God at work and be glad.
Let all who seek God’s help be encouraged."
[Psalm 69:32, NLT]
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