The words of a grieving man are worth listening to so take this to heart:
A couple weeks ago the wife of a special friend died suddenly.
One minute she was a vibrant part of a large family and the next minute she was gone.
Since this happened, I've been thinking a lot about my friend without his
wife.
But even more I've been thinking about some words he shared a few days after her funeral...
He related how his wife was a person who knew how to rejoice. And he pointed out how we ought to learn to do the same.
To back up his point, he quoted CS Lewis who said, “Joy is the serious business of heaven.”
The idea of the quote being... if joy is the serious business of heaven, we should get serious about it here and now.
Coming from a grieving man, an appeal to live joyfully is something to ponder...
And I have been.
I've wondered... why does joy elude me so often?
Why so preoccupied and sober?
I've concluded it's usually because I take on burdens that aren't mine... or that I have no control over.
So in response I've come up with a new motto for life... which is:
“If you can't be joyful, you're not doing it right.”
That may seem a little extreme... after all, there things like elections and paying the bills and kid's futures to worry about.
Yes... we should be concerned about these things.
But the truth is, behind it all, we're not the authors of the story.
We're just participants... who each have our parts to
play.
Our role is to be faithful with all that comes our way in the place He has us.
And we can do that joyfully as we live in union with Christ... and remember that God works all things for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.
Now... abiding in Christ in a way that I experience His joy
continually is not something I've mastered... not by any means.
Members of my family will tell you that!
But it is something I'm taking seriously and working on.
And I encourage you to do the same.
Because I believe it's true...
… If you can't be joyful, you're not doing it right.
You're assuming a greater place in the story than you should be... and you need to put more trust in the One writing the script.
It's His world. Enjoy it.