Called to be Joyful

As His child, he is calling me to be joyful.

Can anything bring as much delight to a parents heart as hearing their child rolling around on the floor giggling?  Whether it’s over a funny joke, or an accidental mishap, there is something so sweet about hearing the laughter of a child.  I think that’s why parents the whole world over get so much pleasure out of the unrelenting tickling of small bodies.

One of the things that God has been placing on my heart as he has taken me through this journey of what it looks like to be a daughter of his, is the vital importance of joy in my life.  It is something I have struggled with for most of my life, having battled depression for many years.  It always seems to be there, something that I manage rather than something I have left behind.  And yet, God is calling me to live a life of joy.

Proverbs 13:9 NLT – The life of the godly is full of light and joy, but the light of the wicked will be snuffed out.

If I think about it, it makes sense.  How does living a life of misery or trepidation or even business bring glory to God’s name?  Who would look at me in that place and think, “You know what? That is exactly what I want my life to look like?”

I know there are seasons of struggle, and I totally believe in being real.  As the church we need to be authentic.  Pain is real, depression is real, grief is real.  But God is calling us to walk through those seasons together, in community, and then to rise victorious and claim joy.  My season of pain and grief is well over.  I need to be stepping into that joy.  Because he commands me to time and time again in the bible.

Zephaniah 3:14 NLT – Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout aloud, O Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem!

My children will go through pain.  They will go through hurt and heartache.  They will lose people around them.  There will be events that shatter them to the core.  As a parent, I hope and pray that they will return to joy.

Proverbs 31:25 NLT – She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future.