Joy is contagious, pass it on

If you can't find joy on the path you're on, and what you're working towards now, how do you expect to find joy once you get there?

One of the most rewarding things in life is discovering your joy and then passing it on.  The apostle Paul was a great example of what it looks like for a believer to have joy in the present, despite difficult circumstances, and then have the presence of mind to systematically share that joy with others in his writings.  Here's an excerpt from one of his letters to the Philippians when he was locked away in a jail cell for preaching the gospel:

I want to report to you my friends that my imprisonment here has had the opposite of its intended effect.  Instead of being squelched, the Message has actually prospered.  

One of the reasons why I love the apostle Paul's letter to the new group of believers in Philipi is that it exudes his joy.  Here Paul is, sitting in a prison, awaiting his probable death, and yet, he is brimming with exclamations of thanks.  He finds himself praying for the Philippians with a glad heart.  And then there's this: of all the things he could possibly wish for right now in the midst of his own trying circumstances, what does he wish for?  

So this is my prayer: that your love will flourish and that you will not only love much, but well. Learn to love appropriately.  You need to use your head and test your feelings so that your love is sincere and intelligent, not sentimental gush.  Live a lover's life, circumspect and exemplary, a life Jesus would be proud of: bountiful in fruits from the soul, making Jesus Christ attractive to all, getting everyone involved in the glory and praise of God.

Paul knew this important lesson: happiness may be circumstantial, but joy that comes from knowing and experiencing God's love supersedes it all.  I've been learning this lesson myself over this past year, how to find joy on my current path and pass it on to others.  It's a tremendous personal pick me up, every time I need a reminder of just how good I have it.  I'm not just talking about in terms of health, family, and material possessions, though these things are certainly blessings.  But in the deeper, more meaningful things in life, God constantly provides me with a reason to smile, and that smile in turn ignites my joy.  I know my purpose and I can actively pursue it everyday.  I have hope and faith that God has a plan for each of our lives and peace in the this truth that abates my fears when I don't know what to do next.  Daily I experience love, and have the chance to give and receive love.  This is the stuff that matters, the stuff of joy.

When you choose joy, you feel good.  And when you feel good, you do good.  And when you do good, it reminds others of what joy feels like, and it just might inspire them to do the same. * 

Find your joy, and then pass it on today.  

SDW3

Author of this quote unknown