3 BENEFITS OF WALKING IN JOY
Joy is very important in the lives of Christians, I believe. For many years, I’ve walked with a personal philosophy summed up in the following couplet:
I owe it to God and me
To be as happy as I can be
[bctt tweet=”I owe it to God and to myself to be as happy as I can be.” username=”edithohaja1″]
Although some try to distinguish joy from happiness, saying the former is deep-rooted, steady and not dependent on circumstances while the latter is superficial, ephemeral and determined by favourable circumstances, I make no such distinction and my dictionary backs me up. The smile on my face says I’m happy and it comes from deep within my heart, regardless of circumstances. Call it happiness, call it joy, it’s all the same to me. And it’s extremely important in our lives, otherwise the Bible wouldn’t admonish us thus:
“Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.” – Philippians 4:4
The circumstances that led to my decision to walk in joy are presented in an earlier post which you can click the title below to read.
(“I will be happy and so should you!”)
I’ve also addressed the flip side of this in two previous posts. You can find motivation for living joyfully in the first and specific ways of beating the blues in the second.
(Dealing with discouragement and sadness #1)
(Dealing with discouragement and sadness #2)
In today’s post, I simply want to share three benefits I’ve derived from living joyfully.
? 3 Benefits I’ve Gained from Walking in Joy ?
? I am healthier: There’s a strong connection between the state of our minds and our physical well-being. This is not just my experience, it has been scientifically proven. According to a Harvard Health Publication (Positive Psychology: Harnessing the power of happiness, mindfulness, and inner strength:
Positive emotions have been linked with better health, longer life, and greater well-being in numerous scientific studies. On the other hand, chronic anger, worry, and hostility increase the risk of developing heart disease, as people react to these feelings with raised blood pressure and stiffening of blood vessels.
I believe this is what the Bible is referring to when it gives the reminder in Nehemiah 8:10 that “the joy of the Lord is your strength.”
? I am more approachable: When I was younger, I frowned easily or rather habitually. I didn’t realise this until one of my cousins pointed it out. He celebrated when I smiled and I thought he was being unnecessarily fussy. Until I started work.
My first few years on the job, students were afraid of me. I came across as a hard-hearted person and was widely described as such just because of my countenance. (It took a while for me to make connection, though.) Those who dared to come close to me were pleasantly surprised to find me warm and playful. Meanwhile, I was missing many opportunities to be a blessing to the young people I taught because only a few could pluck up the courage to ask for my help.
Perhaps, I should tell you a little about my job. I teach Mass Communication in a university. At every point in time, we have hundreds of students, some of them overwhelmed by academic, social, spiritual and financial needs. It’s a great ministry platform only if you make yourself available. In my case, I was physically present but my frown said I wasn’t emotionally available.
Praise God, all that has changed ever since I traded my frown for a smile.
The thing about being approachable is that not only am I able to reach out to others, people feel freer to bless me too. For instance, I cannot recount the good will, prayers, kind words and so many other blessings I’ve received from my present and former students. I told the hilarious story of one such blessing in the posts below.
(My Student, My Teacher #1)
(My Student, My Teacher #2)
[bctt tweet=”Trading one’s frowns for smiles opens up doors of ministry for a Christian.” username=”edithohaja1″]
? I am more creative: I will explain this in respect to my blog. The Bible says that in God’s presence, there is fullness of joy (Psalm 16:11). The way I see it, my sunny countenance surrounds me with the Divine Presence. Let’s look at the totality of that verse:
“Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.”
Part of those pleasures, I believe, is sharing in God’s creative ability: having constant inspiration and seeing the concepts in my mind take shape, albeit electronically for now. It is just as Wisdom, which I believe is a figure for the Lord Jesus, disclosed in the book of Proverbs:
“When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he set a compass upon the face of the depth: When he established the clouds above: when he strengthened the fountains of the deep: When he gave to the sea his decree, that the waters should not pass his commandment: when he appointed the foundations of the earth: Then I was by him as one brought up with him: and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him” – Proverbs 8:27-30.
Our God is the Creator of all things. He made the world in six days but He’s not done creating beautiful things. When I’m joyful, I bring down His presence and the same creative energy flows through me, making preparing my blog posts grace-filled. I believe it can be so for anyone who needs inspiration for whatever wholesome thing they want to come up with. Another exciting thing about this is the infiniteness of this capacity. It’s simply mind-blowing!
Would you join me today? Make joy your watchword.
But to make this work, you need to accept the finished work of Christ on the cross. You see, sin separated us from God. Christ came and died to pay the debt for our sins. Receive the free gift of salvation he offers today by making Him your Lord and personal Saviour. That would reconcile you to God and give you unhindered access to His presence.
God bless you richly as you do this in Jesus’ name. Amen.
+++++++
[bctt tweet=”Make Jesus your Saviour and joy your watchword today. #quote” username=”edithohaja1″]
The scriptures used in this post are from the King James Version of the Holy Bible.
HELLO!
What other benefits of joy have you observed in your own life and in the lives of others?
+++++++
Subscribe to edithohaja.com to receive updates of new posts (inspirational, educational and entertaining articles, poems, quotes and graphics) in your mail. Subscription is free.
–
You can also like my Facebook page, Aunty Edith, follow me on Instagram, GooglePlus (1), GooglePlus (2), Twitter (1), Twitter (2), Pinterest and StumbleUpon. Plus, you can connect with me on LinkedIn. Jesus is Lord!
Very inspiring! Joy is always a choice?
It is and a vety good one at that. Thanks for visiting, Crystal, and have a beautiful week in Jesus’ name.
I love that you make it clear that joy is a choice. In God we have access to joy even in our sad times. And for me joy and creativity go hand in hand as well!
So nice to hear that you think so too! No matter what we go through, God can help us to remain positive through it all and come out stronger. I’ve seen bereaved brethren who were cheerful and comforted those who came to condole with them. The joy of the Lord is indeed our strength. Thanks for stopping by, Alice! You are soooo blessed!
We’ve had the discussion in a bible study that God commands us to be joyous in him because it is a choice! It certainly does improve one’s health and creativity; and also I think, my closeness to God! Great scripture on target. Thank you Edith!
So glad to have you here, April! Glad you like the post. Glory to God! Keep spreading the good cheer and be splendidly blessed of the Lord. (I do recall you once said you liked the word “splendid”. #chuckles)
Joy is a very important virtue to have because it saves us from a lot of emotional and psychological sickness, but is in Jesus that we can get total joy and happiness.
Well said, my dear! You are highly blessed in Jesus’ name.
Awesome thoughts, Aunty! More oil!
Glory to God and amen to the last bit. Hope you have been fine. May the rest of the year bring note fulfilment to you than the previous part in Jesus’ name.
We have to be happy all the time because it saves us from emotional sickness. In Jesus we can get total joy.
Bless you, Chekwube!
Being joyful and smiling always makes one’s life light and free. i like smiling because it reduces the heaviness, burdens of travails of life.
I’m happy I learnt about the helpfulness of smiling too. Cheers!
Joy should be the most important thing in every bodies life because when you are joyful you can’t have any grudge against anybody and if you are joyful, you are happy.
Where there is joy there is light, freedom and true happiness and i pray that every christian has the grace to attain this joy.
Amen. That’s a good one, Cynthia!
I concur, Aunty Edith. The advantages of being happy all the time are so many. In fact, i envy your perpetual sunny countenance. Do you even ever get angry? Lol! I don’t ever want to see the day. Seriously though, a smile can turn a bad day around and leave you with such a satisfying feeling. I can attest to that. It’s like a magnet of favor and goodwill from people around you, literally! Where ever you go, go along with a smile. Happiness and blessings abound even if only a little smile you try. /winks/
Lovely! Bless you, Kat! #winksback
There, are huge benefits in being happy all the time. Happiness brings good luck, favour and love. Also you can overcome anger. Its good to be smiling all the time, even in hard situations. We have to be happy always. Thank you very much, Aunty Edith, for this wonderful post.
I can see joy as that which can free us from trouble and help us to grow higher, both spiritually and physically.
The bible says” The joy in me the hope of glory” there was one specific thing I learn about joy from this which is being joyous or happy makes one healthier and makes people come close to you freely without fear, no wonder they said” Laughter is the best medicine”…………wonderful work ma, more grace.
It’s “Christ in you, the hope of glory” – Colossians 1:27. You’re highly blessed, my dear!
this is great inspiration, now I know where my problems come from and how to solve them. thank you for this piece ma.
I strongly believe that joy is a necessity in life. God bless you, ma!
Happiness is just like the strength that motivates and keeps us going in life. So we should not allow anything to deprive us of that. Though sometimes in life we encounter difficulties and we think all hope is lost, we should always trust and depend on God for our survival for he will see us through. There is no doubt that happiness and joy make us healthy and keep us going in life.
Your watchword actually worked out fine for you. I can’t even picture you frowning because you smile a lot so I still can’t believe you ever frowned. Lol
i have come to understand that happiness may be tied to many things for different people generally as humans but nothing,none can be compared to that which God can give or effect in a person
I learnt in this post that walking in Joy makes us healthier, approachable and creative. when you walk in joy, your frowning will turn into a smile. Now i know where all these ur smiles come from Ma. u are indeed an example
ask me the key to a healthy life,the way to success, the source of internal strength and a way of developing a positive mindset which helps us in our dealings in life and i will tell you happiness and joy,this is interesting ma,from today henceforth,nothing shall deprive me from being happy in life
Aunty be happy joor it is your right. after reading this post i was able to outline the differences between Joy and Happiness.
joy is a feeling of great happiness, so joy is the mother of happiness.
It’s true, ma. When one walks in joy, one will be healthier and will be saved from the issue of high blood pressure. Also, when one walks in joy, people will like to approach him or her.
Powerful, simple and so true.. wonderfully shared Edith.you made it so clear and easy.
Thank you so much, my dear Rita, for the visit and for your kind words. Have a fabulous weekend in Jesus’ name.
Lovely write up, happiness is a choice and we not only affect our life but that of others
Indeed Joy is a choice we make.A lot of situations may come our way but it remains our choice to overcome them with Joy.The benefits of joy cannot be over emphasized.
Joy is really important in peoples lives. It strengthens people and adds more flavor to their lives. No one one has ever walked in joy and regretted it or complained. Joy is what everyone depends on to be happy.
indeed being joyful is a choice
This is inspiring. Indeed a life of joy is a life worth living.
This post is wow! I love it because it has my name(Joy). Being happy truly has a lot of benefits
Yeah ma, your joyful spirit is a welcome to many of us students. We feel we can approach you when we need to because you have a happy soul. I’ll try to emulate your spirit because i can see it yields positive results.
WOW! what a wonderful write up, i will learn how to walk in joy so that i will be healthier and more approachable. thank you ma for your lessons.
May the Lord continue to strengthen you.
Walking without joy can be detrimental to ones health and mental faculties, when you derive joy from what you do; no one has to force you to do anything, it all comes freely.
walking in joy is what man needs in this world in other to live in peace with his fellow humans.
No one would have imagined seeing you frown ma. You are a true manifestation of God’s word in Isaiah 12:8″with joy I shall draw water from the well of salvation”. With joy, we are enabled to certain benefits.
Amazing…there is so much joy can do for you eg it strengthens you.. I for one am joy personified
Ma, this your post is really inspiring. There are so many things we get when we walk in joy. There is always an open door and people would see the goodness of God in your life, just as you are glowing in joy, ma.
Joy is therapeutic and has a way of helping us to maintain stability in life. I must confess that i envy your glowing countenance.. So inspiring ..
Praise the Lord!
JOY IS SOMETHING WE OWE OURSELVES AND GOD AND NOT MAN,MONEY OR ANY OTHER VAIN THINGS HERE ON EARTH
There is joy in my heart
Flowing like a river
I will praise Your name
With thanksgiving and Love
…you reminded me of this song.
The Bible made us to understand that the joy of the Lord Jesus is our strength. The important of joy in our life and all endeavors can never be over emphasized. Joy actually keeps is going. True joy actually is a great determinant of our level of success in life. May God grant us this true joy all the days of our life…… Amen
Very nice post. This has been my personal philosophy and indeed a lifestyle. Our joy in life should not be dictated by circumstances. Life will always turn out well for people who keep a positive attitude towards it.
I have learnt over the years that life will not give you roses. You owe it to yourself to stay happy no matter what happens. Trust in God and keep a positive attitude towards life. Nice one!
This was beautiful and useful enough to carry throughout life! Walking in joy!
The joy of the Lord is our strength, no matter the circumstances we should rejoice.
It increases our life span…. Lol
Sometimes when we choose not to we still find out that it doesn’t change anything
I owe it to my self to be as happy as i can be
i love that line, Ma from all the years i have known you, i can tell that you are really a happy person, always smiling. my mum always says ”when you keep smiling you will always be healthy and you will never have wrinkles” and then i keep saying ”My happiness is not tied to anything or anyone but God, my happiness lives within my own soul and i am not willing to give out that power” walking in joy is very beautiful, its good to learn to do that without compromises
There have been times when I was so down and I didn’t know what to do, but the mere thought of what it’d cost if I just tried a moment’s happiness strengthened me. Truly, everyone should make the personal decision of being joyous no matter the circumstance.
have come to realise that the joy of the heart brings about happiness which will definitely radiate around you. So when you have joy, happiness is guranteed
I can relate very much with the ‘Joy makes us approachable” point… I used to a classic ‘frowner’… I had almost no friends, and I was always alone… But since God began to work on me, and Joy began to sparkle in my eyes, I have become a magnet… People no more run from me…
Joy Joy Joy!!! This piece is very much inspiring, happiness really brings inner peace, happiness is infectious, it is said that one becomes unconsciously becomes one in accordanance with what he frequently experience. If one continues to share in ones happy moments he/she consciously or unconsciously will start experiencing happiness. Thank you Ma’am
Wow! This is inspiring. Joy is a choice at the same time a necessary choice for life, joy gives you satisfaction in all you do, joy could be equated with happiness which is a key to longer life. Nice one
Joy strengths us, it brings happiness, love, forgiveness and also it gives us a long lasting leaving. We overcomes difficult situation with joy thereby proving the devil as a looser in our lives
As a child and adult am always singing this song, JOY!! JOY!!! IN MY HEART IS RINGING, JOY!! JOY!!! JESUS SET IT RINGING…………………………… JOY comes from GOD, He alone can give us that. To be joyful is very good and from now will be become joyful no matter what
Definitely life will throw lemons at you, as a Christian, you make lemonades out of it. Depression and anxiety shouldn’t be a part of our lives. God has given us hope of fullness of joy when we dwell in his presence.
Joy come from only GOD, HE is the source of everything we have in the world but no matter how good or bad things are, we should be joyful
This is a beautiful piece ma.
I never had the slightest idea that living a joyful life is capable of making me healthier,more approachable,and makes me more creative. I’m glad I learnt this today.
We should choose happiness against sadness. We derive joy in happiness. There is life and good health in happiness. A sad mind always has depressing thoughts but when we are happy, our thoughts are filled with beautiful things. Happiness should be our lifestyle
You are indeed a living example ma’am. You always wear a smile on your face each time I see you. And when I see your smile, I feel like smiling even though I’m not a smiling type.
Personally don’t always smile. But that doesn’t mean that I’m never happy. I am always happy but smiling is not my hobby. But I think I’m going to have a rethink from today. I’ll start practising how to smile from today. And I hope to give my own testimony one day. lol!
There is fullness of joy in the presence of God and being happy is a personal decision one has to make no matter the situation surrounding it..Smile is a significance of joy and happiness which can brighten a soul.
Ma, your smile is an inspiration to many people..
I pray that we should always have a cause or reason to smile.
The joy of the Lord is my strength, the word JOY is a simple word but it is very important and powerful to our lives. when you walk in joy, you will always be happy and step on positive things in life. Well-done ma, this a great piece which is inspiring.
Joy is one of the greatest gift of God. In the presence of God there is always joy and gladness. Happiness is a significance of Joy. Joy can mend a broken heart.
I owe it to God and to myself to be as happy as I can be…I concur
Good!!! One with God is happiness
Joy is very crucial and important in the lives of Christians,if not for any other thing for the fact that it is one of the fruit of the Holy Spirit.
Joy is a good thing and everyone deserves to be happy. Although it’s a thing of choice. But I believe everyone will choose joy and happiness. When you are always happy, you will live long because you have less worries, less troubles always happy no matter what especially when you know that God is by ur side. Everyone one around you will be happy because you will try to put a smile on their faces. Always be happy because happiness doesn’t last forever, it comes and goes so always try to be happy with that you can make the people around you happy as well.
Joy is an important virtue in ones life though its all about people’s choice,for one to be happy he or she should have that inner peace in them which the source of it is from our God,joy is important in our everyday life as it reduces our worries and helps us live longer.
Where can I find joy if not in christ? for he is the source of joy , the comforter of the afflicted, the travelers map, the foundation of our house…
Joy is the principle to living long and healthy. And Christ is the best source of joy even when it seems difficult.
Joy is a personal decision that gives you a reason to smile even in the mist of challenges.joy is gotten from the Lord when you know him intimately
The Joy of the Lord is an advantage to us Christians ’cause it’s our strength ,that’s why the devils No1 motive is to steal it. Our Joy/happiness is a weapon over negative circumstances.
Being happy every time can reduce the chance of having heart disease and will make you to live a long life
Being joyful is a way we can use to fight all negativities of life. Let’s all be joyful and forget about the pains life throws at us. Thank you ma for this post.
Joy is a choice, but to me it is an important virtue which I cannot do without, there are benefits of smiling, been cheerful or happy its makes you grow in Christ and also people around you will always want to learn from you because u are joyful that will attract them to you, people will learn from you physically, emotionally and otherwise.
Joy is essential indeed, but how can one change a frown to a constant smile on their face?
By reminding yourself of God’s goodness. It takes some practice but after a while, you’ll be used to it. Cheers!
When one is in God, the joy comes naturally. The Holy Spirit will always comfort us and give us joy. So the best place to find joy is in God.
As you walk with Jesus, resting your head on His heart, you will learn to know His Word, His will, and His ways. You will want to obey Him, not out of forced compliance, but out of heartfelt connection. Your joy will abound as you remain in His love.
Part of me wishes that Akachi read this piece…maybe he would have seen that life even in it’s weird form is laced with joy! I forget that sometimes though
Thank you Aunty Edith for using this piece and your lifestyle to continually remind me
That is so true ma. I noticed too that there is really a connection between ones physical and mental health.
I have also come to notice that you make yourself to feel or act how u would really want to feel or act like.
Positive vibes is so good especially to our health.
Joy is what we should always put on as a Christian, for me it’s not even a choice it’s a most because joy gives you light and releases you from burden and sickness you don’t even know, the joy of the lord is thy strength
Whenever I’m joyful, I forget my worries. Those things that bothers me a lot, I begin to care less placing them on God and replacing my worried looks with a smiling face. Trust and total commitment to God is a way of deriving eternal joy itself, which, only will not provide one with physical and healthy advantages but the spiritual improvement.
We come across the word joy often, but only a few indulge in and experience it. This is because some people focus too much on all the trials they are facing. But, however, if we embrace joy even in hard circumstances, we’ll be surprised how God turns things around.
Wow… You really did trade your frown for a smile. The joy of the Lord is our strength. Keep up with your smiles ma because most times it just might be the pill someone needs to get out of the blues. Thanks so much for this post.
Wow… You really did trade your frown for a smile because I always see you smiling. The joy of the Lord is indeed our strength. Keep up with your smiles ma because most times it just might be the pill someone needs to get out of the blues. Thanks so much for this post.
Another benefit of walking in joy is because it is the source of my smile but To get the full value of joy you must have someone to divide it with.
Once a man is in Christ thereis an overflowing joy from within.
Two persons walked up to me on different occasions, One said she was scared of talking to me because of how my face looked. The other said I frowned a lot and wanted to know if I was OK.Let’s be happy so we don’t scare people away…lol
The Joy of the Lord is my strength. I will never let the hurdles of life take away the smile on my face or the Joy in my heart. How i wish those that are suicidal in nature can read this.
The benefit of living in joy,happiness is that good things,opportunities of unlimited measure would meet you.walking in joy pays.
Joy certainly comes in the morning.but if we are still saddened by our precious predicament we can’t access,enjoy,film the joy really.God blessings are true,he never lies.we should be always be ready to accommodate joy every time to get more blessing.
The gains or the favour that comes with being joyful and happy is plenty.it had now done on me that it makes one healthy.this is most importantly, scares off high blood pressure.
Benefits are delightful.and being happy is good at all times But most importantly we hold the key to our happiness. No one can make us healthier and approachable if not us.
My friends will always say, joy makes one losses your pimples… Lol.. Joy in the lord, loads you with abundance of grace..
Being happy alone is efficacious and contagious. We are just passengers on earth,we should work happily so that God divine blessing won’t elude us.an invigorating one ma.
Joy is the shortcut for good health and not only that people would be able to come closer to you and not be scared just as you mentioned but it will attract good things your way and you will be blessed by individuals going with the fact you are always know with that joyful heart.
The benefits are very much bountiful. The joy itself is a stress taker as it drives sickness far away. When a person is joyful, its grant a person that courage to approach you. Creativity and inspiration can lead to the production of something spectacular. Great one.
One thing I have learnt from you ma is to be always happy.your radiant smile make everything easy and simple in class now I know why you are always joyful.it is because of these benefit. Being healthy is something I cherish so much and being alive I praise God,so from now on joyful will be my name.great one ma.
Joy is absolutely free, but not so many can afford it. In Christ alone we can obtain joy unspeakable.
This post has taught me a lesson today because most times we are consumed in academic activities and we forget the people around us
Truly, Joy is a virtue that is Paramount in human life. Joy is by choice and also a joyful man is a happy man. A joyous person will always be physically, emotionally and psychologically healthy.
There’s nothing as contagious as a smile. It’s so effortless and it has the power to brighten the most blue individual. So smile even when you don’t feel like it
True Joy that comes from God,that doesn’t end,is indeed very important and the benefits are numerous. Indeed I am a testimony of the benefits of walking and living in Joy.
Wonderful post ma’am. God bless you
His infinitness is truly mind-blowing! This is so relatable….I’m so filled with God’s grace that I don’t need to worry about anything. I’ve become very polite, kind, generous and even loving….I bless God everyday for this beautiful change in my life and I’ll never stop praising him.
Being joyful attracts you to lots of blessings, it attracts you to great and nice people.
Nice post Ma’am
Joy is a necessary ingredient of life one cannot do without. Nice one ma
Smile,be merry and stay happy. This motto has really helped me in my life. The idea of staying happy in all endeavours. Smile through the tears,hand everything over to God in prayer and meditation,and see him perform extraordinary miracles in your life.
Don’t worry, about the little things
Because everything is going to be alright.
So don’t worry, be happy.
Even though joy is a fruit of the Spirit, the believer has to deliberately decide to unleash it. In a world full of troubles and unpredictable circumstances, we can choose to be happy. This is similar to the post I shared on my blog recently.
True. More grace in your ministry in Jesus’ name.
joy is an important aspect of the Christian life and it is possible to be happy regardless of circumstances. It is important to strive towards happiness and to cultivate a joyful attitude in order to fulfill God’s purpose for our lives.
Joy is a virtue that everyone should have. For with joy, you will drink deeply from the fountain of salvation!! ( Isaiah 12:3)
A smile holds a lot of worth and warmth, it brightens one’s day, it also bring blessings, favour and joy. Smile makes you more beautiful, it adds spice to your countenance and garners followers from different factions.
Smiles are contagious and important.
This reminds me of my old friend, he always says, “the first day I saw you, you smiled at me and that made me feel special.”