A couple of weeks ago, the same thing happened for three days straight when I got in my car and started it. “Joy” by For King & Country was playing on the radio. I found this strange. For starters, I rarely listen to anything in my car. When I do, it is NPR (totally nerd) or music from my phone (which For King & Country is not on, didn’t even know they existed). For seconds, the radio stations are only playing Christmas music.
The first day, I quickly turned it off because the radio noise annoys me. The second day, I said, “Hmm, that’s interesting,” and shazammed (cool app) the song. The third day, I gave in and let it move me. Each day when I started my car, the same part of the song was on (Christmas miracle?)…
And I choose joy
Let it move you, let it move you, let it move you
Yeah, I choose joy
Let it move you, let it move you, let it move you
As I pondered this in my heart, I remembered an important thing. Joy is a product of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-12). He produces the fruit of joy in me. I’ve mentioned this a couple of times already in these joy posts, but I think it worth repeating. I don’t have the ability to produce joy on my own. As a matter of fact, I’m pretty bad at it. That’s okay because God is fantastic at joy. All I have to do is surrender to him and he overflows it in my life. He is a ready and willing giver. And, the source never runs dry.
Joy looks like a lot of things. I don’t think joy always looks happy-go-lucky or blind optimism. Sometimes it looks like a resolve in very hard times, the ability to find humor in the worst circumstance, seeing the hope and future no matter what. Sometimes, it is straight up laughter, and unexplainable happiness and enjoyment.
Regardless of what joy looks like, it is a choice. It is a surrendering to the work of the Holy Spirit. I believe joy’s subtly presence is just as detectable as its shout. It’s a matter of, again, seeing it (choosing it). And when we do choose joy, as For King & Country suggest, we will be compelled to move with it.
What are practical things we can do to choose joy? What does joy look like in your life? Is it subtle or screaming?
Brave Sparrow 