Pack Joy for the Journey
The joy of the Lord is your strength! — Nehemiah 8:10
Life is a journey, and the journey is what you make it. Packing joy for our journey sets us up to experience life the way God intended.
While spontaneity might work in some instances, a well-planned trip often works out better. We may not have control over the weather, road conditions, traffic patterns, accidents, or other drivers, but some things can be planned. The same is true when it comes to the journey of life.
Wisdom teaches us that planning well can lead to a successful journey. It’s not even about the destination. We are all headed toward eternity, and only the Father knows when we will get there. What is more important is what path we choose, who we take with us, what we do along the way, and how we pack.
Choose a Path
Depending on the settings in our navigation system, there are various ways to get to where we may want to go. Thanks to satellite technology, our GPS usually knows the best route to take, even though it might look like we are being led on a wild goose chase. Sometimes, we go the way we know, and then we see that detour or traffic backup we could have avoided if only we had trusted the path set before us.
Likewise, God gives us a choice to accept the path He has for us or to go a different way. Choosing to follow God doesn’t just happen; it requires intentionality. You don’t just stumble onto the right path. It begins with admitting that we are lost and asking God to show us the way. That’s surrender! Letting God take the lead and following Him. Sometimes we suffer unintended consequences because we may have chosen a path that leads to destruction rather than the one that leads to God.
Road Dogs for Life
Some of the most memorable moments in my life were made while traveling with my family. We didn’t even realize it in the moment, but by being present and engaged, we were laying a solid foundation that strengthened each member of our family. In addition to making great memories, we promoted confidence, a sense of belonging, freedom of expression, and healthy communication.
We packed joy for our journey, banking on who God is rather than who we are, valuing our connection to Him and one another along our journey. That bond of unity and love remains today, being held by our faith in Jesus Christ and our shared experiences.
The Trouble with Packing
Packing can be a cumbersome task. Indecision leads to procrastination, and before you know it, somehow, you wind up packing all the wrong stuff. On the other hand, we can find peace of mind and strength for our journey when we are intentional about packing the things we need most.
The Bible illustrates the essential nature of joy as a deep, abiding state of contentment that transcends our circumstances. Joy goes beyond our human emotion and taps into the divine provision that God has given to us as a source of supernatural strength. It speaks of our relationship with God, creating space for our faith in Jesus and the working of the Holy Spirit to color our experience with heavenly hues that illuminate God’s character and love for us. This allows us to assume God’s good intentions toward us when we filter our experience through the lens of joy. It’s about recognizing who God is rather than who we are and trusting that He is working in the midst of our circumstances to accomplish His will for a good purpose.
Count It All Joy
James 1:2-4 encourages us to count all of our experiences as something to be celebrated because God is too good to be anything but good. Joy is more than a good feeling; it is taking pleasure in who Jesus is rather than who we are or what is happening around us.
Joy is like the famous American Express slogan: “Don’t leave home without it.” Make room for joy in your heart, and let your faith in who God is be a source of strength for you along life’s journey.