Hi friends!! This week we are reading the chapter on Joy in The Finishing School. If you haven’t joined our FB book club already, join here!
In this week’s chapter, we talk about 3 things that will help us find joy. Today, I wanted to talk about the opposite side: what is keeping us from having joy? Here are three questions to ask ourself:
What am I looking at?
It sounds simple enough, but as I think about having joy even in rough seasons, it becomes overwhelmingly obvious that when I can’t find joy, it’s because I won’t budge my eyes from the hard things in life. The other day, I called my sister and asked her if I could vent for a few minutes and then if she could name all the good things going on in my life. I knew there was something good, but I couldn’t turn my eyes on my own. This leads to the next question.
Why do I want to throw a pity party?
Sometimes we’re stubborn and determined to have a pity party. I wanted to list off all the hard stuff first. I wanted my sister to feel bad for me. And that forces me to wonder, what’s the benefit of having someone feel bad for me? How does that make me feel any better than I’d feel if I simply chose joy?
What am I valuing more than what God values?
I have been listening to the book Kisses from Katie during our car rides lately. It’s about a teenager who leaves her comfortable life in the US to teach children in Uganda. If you are a believer, you have the ultimate prize, life in eternity with Christ! The rest really is lagniappe. So what am I putting a higher value on than the very things that brings me everlasting joy? Is it a job, money, a home or baby?
I’d love to hear from you! Does one of these questions in particular hit you?
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