when will we be happy??

This morning on my way to work I had a thought that I have very regularly.  I'm not really proud of it, but I'll be honest and tell ya I think stuff just like this all the time.  I saw a SUPER nice vehicle that I would LOVE to have in front of me.  It was a black GMC Yukon Denali.  It was soooooo pretty.  I found myself trying to look in it and see what lucky soul gets to drive such an amazing car.  I thought "whoever is driving that thing must be so wealthy and HAPPY". I then started thinking to myself "maybe one day I'll have a car of my dreams and other things I've always wanted and when that happens I'll be so happy"....

Right at that very moment I could just hear the small still voice inside of me ( AKA Jesus) and I could hear in my head the words "no you won't.  You will feel exactly like you do today". 

I immediately started talking to the Lord.  I told Him, "Lord, you're right.  A car or house or clothes or Coach purse or anything else is not EVER going to make me happy or give me true joy.... I'm sorry Jesus.  Help me".

Here is the honest truth.... there is nothing... absolutely nothing that this world has to offer me that will truly make me feel joy.  If I did get every single material thing I wanted tomorrow, sure all that "stuff" would make me happy for a while, but then the inevitable would happen.   After a while, it would loose it's newness and it would become normal and ordinary to me and it would not have the same power to make me happy.  I would feel empty again and I would begin looking around to the next big thing I want.  It would be a vicious cycle.

The only things that can bring true joy are things that one cannot actually touch.  They are not material things at all.  When I get my thought process in line with the word of God I realize that these are the things that actually bring me joy.

Laughter-  there is almost nothing I love more than some gut wrenching laughter.  It totally brings this girl joy.

Peace-  when I allow the Holy Spirit to fill me with peace, even in the midst of hard times, there is nothing better.  For me I find peace when I can just let go of all that worries me.  I am a worrier at heart.  I worry about everything and anything... finances, people dying, etc.... But I find peace when I honestly say to the Lord, "not my will, but yours be done.  You know what is best for me.  You know the future and you can take care of me better than I can".  Finding peace can bring joy.

Giving to others/helping others.
When I give to others, whether that be time or material things, it always brings me joy.

Giving and receiving love.
When I show love others love and when others show me love I definitely feel joy.

Doing the right thing.
Anytime I am faced with a tough decision, I always feel joy when I finally choose to do the "right"  thing.... even when the right thing is hard to do.

Giving and receiving encouragement.
My love language is "words of affirmation".  I always feel joy when people encourage me, and I feel a lot of joy when I encourage others as well.

Having a clear conscious.
I REALLY have a sense of joy when my conscious is clear.  When I can lay my head down at night and I know that I have not talked about someone behind their back, I didn't lie to anyone, I had a good work ethic... etc.

Striving to be the best I can be.
Last but not least, it truly does bring me joy to strive to be a better person.... reading the word, eating healthy, working out, and making other healthy choices.

What is so ironic is that every single one of these things are Biblical.  We are to live for things that are eternal, not for things that are material.

I truly hope that you realize that you CAN have joy.  If you are down right now or feeling depressed, make sure you are living for and focusing DAILY on things that can actually bring you joy and peace.  If you are living for things or the next big exciting thing, you will be continually disappointed.  You can have joy, but you have to live for things that are lasting.

Hope you are encouraged today.

Talk to y'all soon!

xoxo