Joy.

“Joy is a sweet attitude in response to God’s sovereignty. Joy says, I’m going to let my disposition be rooted in truth that’s in heaven and in the word of God, not necessarily in what’s happening around me.  Joy is not always a feeling.  Sometimes, joy is a confidence.  Sometimes, joy is a persuasion.“
(Rick Holland)

Joy remembers who God is.  Joy remembers that He is sovereign over nature, over circumstances in our lives, over the duration of circumstances in our lives, and even over the king’s heart.  And joy is the cheerful submission to His sovereignty.  Joy is the sweetness of spirit that bows before His sometimes heavy hand.

Joy remembers that God’s Word stands (and sustains) even when everything else may fall and be destroyed.

And though it is heartfelt, joy is not merely an emotion.  An emotion can be a response, but a response does not always have to be an emotion.  Joy isn’t limited to the bounds of feeling.  Joy is not elusive; it is kept by truth.

Joy is the belief and deep-seated conviction that God is sovereign, that God is good, and that God is Abba.  Joy is confidence in Him, being persuaded that He is able and willing and delighting to do what He promised.  Joy is the confident response to the character of God.

He’s good to give us Himself as the anchor to our joy — immutable, eternal, holy.

Letitia means joy.

My friend Erin sent me this picture a couple days ago:

I saw this while walking around in downtown Philly a while ago and thought of you (for obvious reasons…)

I wonder if the neighborhood people pronounce it Le-tee-sha Street or Le-tish-a Street …

About a year ago, I was talking with a friend in the car, and we talked about how our parents gave us “challenging” names — challenging in terms of what our names call us to be.  Mine, joy.  Hers, grace.  In a world like ours, with hearts like ours, joy? grace?

How easy it would have been to live up to my name if it was something like Slow-to-Change, Absent-minded, Self-absorbed … (not that I wish they named me those things!)

But no, joy was what they chose.  In spite of anything and everything, joy.

A couple of nights ago, when I was feeling anything but joyful, I read Philippians again.  God gave reminders about joy through Paul, who was imprisoned for his faith but rejoicing and exhorting the Philippians to rejoice, too.

How was Paul able to genuinely, continually rejoice?  Why did he rejoice?

Because he counted “everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus [his] Lord” (3:8).

Because he clung not to “a righteousness of [his] own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith” (3:9).

Because he set his heart to do one thing … “But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (3:13-14).

Because his hope was secure, knowing “our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like His glorious body, by the power that enables Him even to subject all things to Himself” (3:20).

Because he knew that “the Lord is at hand” (4:5).

Because he had “learned in whatever situation [he is] to be content … in any and every circumstance,” not by his own strength or determination but “through Him who strengthens …” (4:11-13).

I want to rejoice like that.  I want to know more deeply the God in whose hands there are pleasures forevermore.  And in rejoicing in Him in any and every circumstance, I want to bring glory and honor to the name of my God … not because I’m strong (because I’m not), but because He strengthens me.

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.”
(Philippians 4:4)

“The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup; You hold my lot.  The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.  I bless the LORD who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me.  I have set the LORD always before me; because He is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure.  For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption.  You make known to me the path of life; in Your presence there is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”
(Psalm 16: 5-6-11)

Cheerful for His glory.

Two of my cousins & I dressed up for my church’s “Fall Festival” this past week. I was exhausted afterward, but it was well worth it. They had so much fun.

One kid at church asked if I was Larry the Cucumber ;]

Leslie & Alisa still come over every weekend. They still challenge me.

They don’t just listen to my words; they listen to the tone of my voice. They don’t just watch my actions; they watch how, & with what attitude, I do them.

They particularly notice whether I’m cheerful or not. Leslie, especially, will ask, “How come you’re cheerful even when ____?” or “How come you’re losing your cheerfulness?” (She’s asked both of these questions in the past two weeks.)

One of my most consistent prayer requests this past year has been for genuine cheerfulness, no matter what my circumstances are – that sweet, joyful disposition that is the fruit of walking by His Spirit. Though I’ve certainly seen more of joy’s opposite, He’s faithful to continually sanctify . . . & provide unexpected accountability through my cousins.

When we’re cheerful, it brings Him glory. In this dark world, cheerfulness (true joy) shines. After all, who can claim to have lasting, undiminishing joy no matter what the circumstance except those who know, love, & walk with Him?

So, away with grumbling, complaining, pessimism, bitterness, discontent, & gloom.
Let’s be cheerful from the heart . . . for His glory.

Happy in making God happy.

Two of my cousins, sisters, come over every Saturday; one is 12, the other is 6. It’s always an adventure of some sort: rollerblading, swimming, wave boarding, running with the dogs, endless story-telling, taking out my dresses for them to try on, you name it.

They’re so different. One conceals the things of her heart more, the other wears her heart on her forehead (everything from within is so apparent: her thoughts, her feelings, etc.). Hanging out with them always gives me so much to mull over. Today was no different.

Today, the youngest one was grumbling & complaining because her mom wouldn’t get her the princess costume she wanted for Halloween. She tried crying, whining, pulling . . . but all in vain. & that made her even more miserable.

I put her into the most froufrou-like dress I could find in my closet & read her a devotional story called “Why We Can Always Be Happy” from Little Visits with God that spoke about God’s forgiveness for our sins. She half-listened in. She liked the froufrou, but she was still miserable. Alas.

When we went to the restaurant later, she was even more sullen. There was nothing anyone could do to cheer her up or distract her. Her mind was still fixed on somehow getting that princess dress (did I mention she had 5 other costumes at home that she could choose from?).

Finally, she needed to go to the restroom. When we got in there, she immediately said, “I feel sad.”

“Why?” I asked. By this time, I was inwardly battling impatience; I’d heard this statement about 15 times in the past 2 hours. Lord, help.

“You know why . . .”

“Alisa, you need to be cheerful even if you don’t get what you want. A dress shouldn’t be the thing that makes you either happy or unhappy.”

“But I still want it . . . & I’m sad . . .”

“You can’t always have what you want. Right now, you’re making everyone else miserable just because you feel miserable. You’re only thinking about yourself. You only care about you, & you don’t care about anyone else right now.”

“What is ‘care’?” (She knew what it meant, but she wanted another explanation.)

“‘Care’ is like loving. You only love yourself right now. You aren’t loving other people, because you’re only thinking about what you want. You’re being selfish.”

“So, it’s all my fault?” (Her voice became a little more shrill, & the tears were welling up again.)

“Pretty much . . .” For a split second, I wondered how I should respond. Do I tell her nothing is her fault just so she won’t cry, or do I tell her the truth? ‘Pretty much’ is what came out. “But you can change that. You have a choice. You can either not be selfish, be cheerful, & make God happy . . . or you can keep wanting things your own way & choose to be miserable. You decide.”

“I have to decide?”

I held up my hands for her. Wagging my left hand, “Either you can keep doing wrong,” & next, wagging my right hand, “Or you can do what’s right & do what makes God happy. You choose.”

She looked from one hand to the other for a while, & then her eyes brightened a little. She announced with a big smile, “I want to be cheerful & make God happy.” & then came the inevitable, “But where is God? I can’t see Him or touch Him!”

After some more inside-my-head God, help prayers & a brief explanation, I began to wonder if someone was waiting outside to use the restroom, so we went back outside. When we went back to our table, she hugged her mom & apologized, saying, “Mom, I’ll be cheerful even if I don’t get the dress.”

She bounced back into her seat next to me & said, “I’m so happy now! It’s like magic!”

“Making God happy, by loving & obeying Him, should always be what makes us happy.”

“Yea, I was being selfish. But what if I choose to be cheerful, but my heart is still sad or mad?”

“Then pray to God & ask Him to help you.”

Later, she asked for some meat, but there was none of the specific variety she wanted. She started to get grumpy again, but she stopped abruptly & said to herself, “Wait, don’t be grumpy.” Then she looked upward & said to herself, as if for God to hear her, too, & be pleased, “Be cheerful.”

& she was.

*

Elisabeth Prentiss wrote, in Stepping Heavenward, something about instilling in children the desire to please God from a young age. This is what I tried to instill in Alisa, if you’re wondering about the “making God happy” part. But I don’t recommend this narrative as the best approach in dealing with grumpy kids. For advice of that nature, I would be more than glad to recommend you to a number of older, godly women who are wives & mothers . . .

But talking with Alisa reminded me of sins in my own heart & truths in His Word to cling to.

Do I cry over princess dresses? No . . .
Do I grumble, complain, & whimper over other things just as silly & petty? Sadly, yes.

The whole time I was talking to Alisa, I was thinking & praying, “God, I fall so short of being exemplary in my own heart attitude. Help me to be a better example to her. Keep her eyes on You who are perfect . . .”

Let me not forget: joy comes in knowing God, loving Him, & making it my aim to please Him.