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Jan. 2017 Bmt POA CAPP Devotional
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Happy New Year!
How many times have you heard that? How many years have you enjoyed complete happiness?
Happiness is a fleeting emotion. Happiness is based on one’s personal satisfaction of immediate circumstances. Happiness last as long as those immediate circumstances remain effective. I believe that it is safe to say that a constant state of happiness cannot be maintained. I would suggest that the frantic desire to maintain a constant state of happiness is the reason some turn to external stimuli hoping that such will keep the happiness level up regarding the present circumstances. Self-maintaining of constant happiness is a contrived effort. When the energy needed to continue falters, the effort fails. Then, a great fall occurs.
Lately, I have been somewhat intrigued concerning the difference between a medical disease and a medical condition. With my limited understanding, a disease generally results from outside influences, whereas a condition is dependent on internal conditions.
With that understanding from a medical viewpoint, consider joy verses happiness. To be happy, one must be influenced externally. Joy, on the other hand, is the consequence of contentment with the internal conditions. When everything is right inside, one is apt to remain content, experiencing joy. When external influences disrupt the internal conditions of contentment and the joy is abated, unhappiness results. Trying to overcome the external influence of unhappiness with other external stimuli does not bring joy, but only short term relief. This leads to frustration, despondency and despair, and maybe even a destructive habit. Joy is the state of being content regardless of outside influences.
The acrostic JOY is the perfect formula from possessing and maintain joy in deference to happiness, which cannot be maintained. The “J” is for Jesus. If you want your inside condition to be one of constant contentment, make sure you put Jesus on the throne of your heart and leave Him there! The “O” is for others. Caring for others is the best way for us to appreciate all that God has done for us. It is the perfect demonstration for what is right on our inside. The “Y” is for yourself. To be truly content, to possess real joy requires that we understand the value God has placed on each of us. No one is unimportant to God. Jesus died for all of us by paying God’s required blood sacrifice for sin! So, if you want real JOY, put Jesus first, other second and yourself third. This will result in real joy! So, I will pray that you have a joyous 2017; that you will be safe, satisfied and secured in the arms of Jesus!
In Christ Alone!
Big Jim Salles
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