“There ain’t nothing gonna steal my joy”, is a line from Zack Williams’ song, Old Church Choir. In reflecting on it, what is your answer to the inferred question? Do you allow things around you to upset you, frustrate you, stealing your peace and joy? Or are you of the mind and in the place where you can say, “There ain’t nothing gonna steal my joy”? If you are, you are a rare individual in today’s world.
I wasn’t in a place where Zack’s line applied to me for the longest time, because I didn’t have the inner peace for it to be the case. In fact, I didn’t have any peace. Instead it was all about the pace. I was running, running, running, always trying to accomplish more and never able to keep up with what I thought the world wanted of me. I was invested in gaining prominence, accumulating possessions, and experiencing pleasure. I was trying to fill this God sized hole in the center of my chest with all of these things that couldn’t possibly make me happy, let alone give me joy.
I think that’s it’s important to make a distinction between joy, happiness, and pleasure (referencing Dicitionary.com):
- Pleasure comes from being gratified, delighted, or satisfied by something physical, emotional, or even intellectual. It is typically very short lived, only being experienced when what is creating the pleasure is taking place.
- Happiness results from the possession or attainment of what one considers good. Happiness is tied to an experience or occurrence that is time bound. It is a response to circumstance, contentment, good luck, prosperity, or good fortune.
- In contrast, Joy is not a function of situation or circumstance, nor prosperity or good luck, but true goodness that brings lasting peace.
Peter Kreeft, PH.D., professor of philosophy at Boston College, states it this way, “Pleasure is in the body. Happiness is in the mind (feelings). Joy is deep in the heart, the spirit, the center of the self”. I would agree….joy can exist in you, no matter what’s going on in your life.
So the question is, how do you attain joy? From my experience, there’s only one way. You have to first understand and internalize God’s unconditional love and forgiveness.
Next question….how do I get that? Again, speaking from my experience, it only happens through conversion. The good news is that wanting it is the first step and seeking it will make it happen. If you’d like some help in this regard, shoot me a note and I’d be glad to assist.
Remember….God loves you more than you’ll ever know, no matter what you’ve ever done.
- God is there for you, like no one else in your life (not your friends, not even your spouse)
- And God wants you to have joy
It’s only in knowing God’s love, knowing who you are in Christ, put on this earth for a special purpose, uniquely gifted, and made for greatness, that you will have lasting joy in your life. And be able to say, “There ain’t nothing gonna steal my joy”.
Please share your thoughts with me at Mark@MarkJosephMinistries.com.
May God Bless you on your Path of Peace, Joy, and Fulfillment!!!
Mark Joseph
