Day 19 of Finding Joy in the Journey

Luke 6:22-23

Blessed are you when people hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their ancestors treated the prophets.

Today we ponder the reality of suffering and pain in life, both due to faith and with life in general:

From the Joyful Journey book:
The life of Jesus on earth, which culminated on the cross, modeled suffering well. It was evident in the garden of Gethsemane that Jesus did not want to go through with His imminent death. He was in so much distress that He was sweating blood, yet He was still able to remain connected to the Father and think of the welfare of His disciples when the guards seized Him. Jesus did not change under pressure and exhibited the same thoughtfulness, forgiveness and compassion as before. His deep connection with the Father enabled Him to suffer well. God invites all of His followers to live our lives the same way as Christ. 27,28, Joyful Journey, Wilder, Kang, Loppnow, Loppnow

Session A: We continue revisiting joyful memories recorded on your Golden Moments list. Look for God’s presence in the joys. Invite Him to share thoughts about joys you’re recalling. Again, notice body sensations, attitudes, heart rate, etc.

Journal Prompt:

Practice seeing God in the present and past joys.

Key Words:

[Jesus] My child, do you consider it a blessing when people hate you because of Me? When they exclude you and insult you? Take joy in this -- seriously. You are in good company with My prophets of old.

As Christians, Chris and I (Marcus) are convinced that it helps to have a relationship with a God who is happy to see us and happy to go through suffering with us because it means we are never alone.
~ page 154, The 4 Habits, Warner, Coursey

Afternoon Session

1 Peter 4:13

But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.

Session B: Thought Rhyming as Immanuel Journaling:
Take one or two of your joys from today (or your list) and envision God responding with one or two sentence “thoughts” in the following areas: I see, hear you, understand you, am glad to be with you, and can do something about your situation.

Joy helps you endure hardship well. Joy gives us the strength to deal with emotional pain. The idea of living with joy doesn’t mean that we don’t suffer or feel emotional pain. It doesn’t even mean that we get past our emotional pain quickly. It means that despite the emotional pain we have we can still find relational joy in the midst of the hard stuff. For example, joy-filled people still grieve when they lose a loved one. The point is not that joy makes them immune to bad feelings. The point is that even in the midst of the upsetting emotion they can share joy with others and that joy helps them get through the hard times.
10,~ page 11, The 4 Habits, Warner, Coursey

[Jesus] I understand suffering. It’s not a happy thing, but I am with you in it. Let others help you in time of need, grieving with you. And keep your eyes on Me through all of it. As the Apostle Paul said, it will produce perseverance, character, and hope (see Romans 5:1-5). My Spirit will accompany you throughout the process. Trust Me.

Romans 5:1-5

Peace and Hope

5 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

Evening Session

Session C: Reflecting with Interactive Gratitude:
Spend five minutes reflecting on the day or week. Journal a sentence about what you are grateful for and then write down how Jesus might respond.

Journal Prompt:

Journal a sentence about what you are grateful for and then write down how Jesus might respond.

Key Words:

Stress expert Dr Andrew Steptoe of University college in London states that while stress has a negative effect on certain biological systems happiness and “has a protective effect on those same biological pathways.” We now know that simply thinking about joy and reflecting on the good stuff changes enzymes in our body and these changes help prevent inflammatory disease.”
11,~ page 12, The 4 Habits, Warner, Coursey

Psalm 27:6

And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me, and I will offer in his tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing and make melody to the Lord.

Prayer

How many times Jesus have You lifted my head up – and delivered me from my enemies! Sometimes that enemy is myself, sometimes the evil one, and sometimes a world of people not aligned with You. But as for me and my house, we will sing and make a melody to You!

[The expression returning to joy] refers to recovering our ability to be glad with someone in spite of the emotion. When we get triggered, our emotional self disappears and we act like someone else. Returning to joy is the process of getting our true self back online. This happens when we can find joy in another person even though our emotions are still upset. ~ page 105, The 4 Habits, Warner, Coursey

I give everyone and everything to You God;
I give everyone and everything to You.