Everything's Possible - Day 16

Philippians 3:1 Whatever happens, my dear brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord. I never get tired of telling you these things, and I do it to safeguard your faith.

Let's talk about Joy for a moment. It’s pretty important to the Christian believer. In fact, it is a by-product of our faith in Jesus. New life gives us a new perspective, and that new perspective brings us joy. Paul states that he never tires of writing these things. Paul is possibly referring to the warning and teaching that follows, which he might have delivered in person or in an earlier letter. But for a moment, he wants them to rejoice in the Lord.
 
Joy is not so ethereal as we might make it seem. Because it is a by-product of our faith in Christ, it is also accessible at any point in our faith journey. Joy can be the fuel that keeps us going, the result of a deep spiritual connection, or even the choice we make everyday. 
When you choose joy, you choose life and life abundantly. There is so much that we can focus on that brings us to scarcity and hopelessness. But there is also so much that we can choose to find joy in each day. My family loves sharing Instagram reels of small animals being super cute, not that they could be anything else. This may seem like a foolish thing to do, but it helps us find joy in the little things each and every day.

What gives and brings you joy? How often do you find yourself leaning into those things? Are they part of your spiritual practice? We often think things that bring us joy are anathema to a spiritual life, but the opposite is actually true. I have a hard time believing that Jesus traveled with a bunch of guys and that they never played practical jokes on each other. I would imagine that there was a great deal of laughter that accompanied those travel companions.
 
David Ferguson, the pastor of our Chattanooga campus, gave a keynote address on comedy in public speaking and in your spiritual life. It was brilliant and spoke to the need that we all have to find joy in all of our endeavors. We have to be willing to laugh at ourselves and with others and find a common spirit of joy together. Without that spirit of joy, we will find ourselves as dry as crackers and cracking just the same.

1. What brings you Joy? 
2. How do you bring that into your spiritual practice? 
3. What is the funniest thing you have ever heard/done/been a part of?