“Fulfill my joy by being like- minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind” (Philippians 2:2).
ACCORDING TO MERRIAM-WEBSTER’S DICTIONARY, the word “fill” means “to occupy the whole of an empty space.” From that definition we can infer that someone who is filled with joy” is a person who is satisfied because they are totally fulfilled.
It would seem utopian to apply that definition to a person; however, it’s in fact possible to be full of joy; what happens is that we may not believe that in order to do so we should always have happy times, when in fact it’s not like this, but rather something very different. Just as the Lord is full of joy when He sees his children joined together by same love, we are filled with joy when we have a lifestyle based on an intimated relationship with God. It does not have to do with what’s happening around us; it has to do with our connection with God. Joy and happiness come from within, from our intimate relationship with the Lord; and in that sense, nobody can deny us the right to be happy, even when we are going through hard times.
We all have the ability to be happy; because we were created with neurotransmitters whose only function is to provide us with pleasure and joy. Why then are there so many people who are mad at life and unable to be happy? Because they have not been able to understand what the true joy of living is all about.
Christian women develop the habit of being joyful even when they know their life, at some point, will be struck by pain and hardship, but they also know that God is in control of their lives, although they live in a conflictive world
Our mind is the source, of our thoughts. Emotions that lead us to behave in a certain way come from our thoughts. We should constantly watch them because we are what we think. Getting used to thinking good thoughts is the road that leads to the true joy of living. Bitterness, pessimism, negativity¡ bad mood, dissatisfaction and complaints undermine our mental energy and lead us to emotional and physical ruin.
Fill yourself with joy, start each day taking a deep breath, feel each inhalation and exhalation, and thank God for life.
May your prayer be:
“Thank you, Lord, for the gift of life. Help me to find beauty in it and remove ungratefulness from me.”