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Volume 10, Issue 05: A Joy Revolution

This is a continuation of the "Cheerful No Matter What!" article. One of my big takeaways from Neal Samudre's study on joy is how he connected our thoughts to our reactions. It blew my mind away. The reason we are stressed is not because of our circumstances, it is because of our thoughts about our circumstances. Neal's research revealed that our circumstances are not inherently stressful, it is our thoughts about a circumstance that makes it stressful. Neal used the example of Paul to drive the point home. In the book of Philippians, we find Paul in jail, yet he is repeatedly saying he is rejoicing.

How can he rejoice when he is on one of the most stressful situations imaginable? If we were in jail, we wouldn't be talking about joy. But being in jail isn't inherently stressful. It does not automatically carry stress with it. It is what we think about being in jail that is stressful. And Paul thought about being in jail as a way of living for Christ. His thoughts about his circumstances do not communicate stress, they communicate joy.

To make it personal, I would add that having challenges at work isn't inherently stressful. It is what I think about those challenges that is stressful. I can therefore rewire my thoughts about my circumstances to communicate joy rather than stress. This is really powerful, don't miss the revelation.

To elaborate the point, I will add that it is not inherently stressful to be in trouble. Trouble does not automatically carry stress with it. It is what we think about being in trouble that is stressful. It is not inherently stressful to be in lack. Lack does not automatically carry stress with it. It is what we think about being in lack that is stressful. It is not inherently stressful to be mistreated. Mistreatment does not automatically carry stress with it. It is what we think about being mistreated that is stressful. The question that follows is, how can we capture our thoughts and rewire them for joy?

Neal emphasized that it is important to know that our beliefs are just repeated thoughts. Paul used the words "joy" and "rejoicing" sixteen times in the short book of Philippians. He is repeating a declaration of joy. He is repeating the thought he wants to believe. So in the face of daily stress, what thought do you want to repeat? The more we repeat Biblical truths as thoughts, the more we believe them, and the more we rewire our thoughts about stressful circumstances in light of joy.

Let's make the habit of repeating declarations of joy and thinking about being joyful until we believe it. This will turn our individual worlds upside down because instead of responding to difficult circumstances with stress, we will respond with joy. Talk of a new normal - a crazy one at that! Pause and picture yourself responding with joy when all that could go wrong goes wrong all at once, when hell breaks loose and you find yourself in the middle of a big fat mess. Now, that's what I call a joy revolution. And it's not a fantasy.

The Bible says to be cheerful no matter what. If the Bible says we can have joy at all times, then we can rejoice no matter what happens. I choose joy over stress. What will you choose today?

 

For His Glory,

Lillian Chebosi