^{Phil 2:5} Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:

Keeping an Attitude of Joy

^{Phil 1:3} I thank my God every time I remember you. ^{Phil 1:4} In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy

Being joyful is a choice. Being miserable is an option. Through the grace of God, we can choose to go through life in a stance of faith (not just positive thinking) despite the difficult & challenging realities of life.

The apostle Paul, could have wallowed in misery and regret as he wrote this letter to the Philippians. Why? He was writing this joy-filled letter while in prison! Say again???

Joy as Paul demonstrates is a condition of the heart independent of the circumstances around. When we choose to be joyful, Paul is not suggesting that we be unmindful of what is happening around. It is simply a conscious choice of finding the good in whatever bad that may be happening and finding God in it. Sounds simple enough… Hmm, but seriously (because we probably take life tooooo seriously at times), it is a little more difficult to apply.

It is hard to be joyful when times are hard (as it is now.) It is hard when we have bills to pay, deadlines to meet, mouths to feed, health to worry about, relationships that are being shaken… or when life’s comforts and luxuries that we have become accustomed to be suddenly taken away from us because of hard times. YET we can choose not to let these rob us of our joy.

I also learned from Paul by his Christlike example, one way to keep a joyful countenance… PRAYER. Prayer is a reminder that we have a God who knows, who cares and is able to meet our needs. Dwelling upon these truths relieves me of those anxieties. Prayer is like an antidote way better than any anti-depressant or relaxant that you can find. Prayer is more soothing than a relaxing coffee from Starbucks or a Chai latte from Coffee Bean (I might grab one today anyway, hehe).

I guess I will do just that now. Let me pray….”Today Lord, help me keep that joy in my heart. I pray that you cleanse my heart from anxieties and emotions that replace joy. I pray that my mind be purified from thoughts that drive away peace and trust in you. I want to be Christlike and I pray to be joyful. May your joy be in the hearts of my loved ones and friends. May we all realize that true joy is not found in what this world can provide. Only YOU Lord can grant that unexplainable peace in our hearts and unwavering sense of joy within.”