An Attitude of Joy

I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God. — Isaiah 61:10

My life is not full of joy every minute, but it’s true that joy is my most natural posture. I had a happy childhood, and that no doubt makes a big difference in the way I am today. In addition, I’ve trained myself to look for the bright side of things. I’m rarely around negative people, and if I am, I don’t make camp there.

Joy is not only a marvelous gift from God; it’s a command (Philippians 4:4 says, “Rejoice!”). Joy is also a learned behavior. If you’re generous with other people, they will be generous with you, and that alone will bring you unspeakable joy. Joy starts inside yourself. You can’t expect to get it from somebody else first.

Although I experience abundant joy in life, laugh heartily and often, and appreciate humor at every turn, my temperament poses certain challenges: when I tire, I get cranky. When things are out of order, I can be stubbornly controlling. When I find myself at the mercy of another’s plans or schedule, I can be very frustrated. In that sense, joy does not always come naturally to me . . . it’s an attitude I choose and try very hard to maintain.

By Luci Swindoll