Your heart could look like a neglected laundry hamper

You already have the capacity for overflowing joy, but until you choose to utilize it, you won't see it make a difference in your life.

Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! (Philippians 4:4)

Is anyone else bad at doing laundry?

It’s not that I don’t value clean clothes. I just never seem to be able to prioritize getting all my laundry done by the time I need it. And laundry is a tricky sort of thing anyway because it never actually runs out.

I mean, the only way to run out of dirty laundry is to stop wearing clothes, and I’m pretty sure wandering around naked is going to cause a host of other problems that are more complicated than just doing your laundry.

Yes, I’m being silly. We all need some silly at times, I think. But when you think of something in your life that is consistently overflowing, what else comes to mind? Maybe it’s not dirty laundry. Maybe it’s dishes. Maybe it’s your inbox. Is there anything in your life that’s overflowing that is positive?

That’s the real question here. I love the wording of this particular verse in Scripture, where Paul commands us to always be full of joy. I looked at the actual words in this verse, and in the original translation it just indicates that we should rejoice. But I love how the translators painted this picture of “being full” of joy.

Wouldn’t that be amazing? To be so full of God’s love and grace that joy just spills out of you in a way you can’t stop? To overflow with joy and praise and gratitude for our Heavenly Father that we can’t contain it?

Impossible? Well, on our own it’s impossible. But if you know Jesus, you’re not on your own. And Jesus has given us so many reasons to rejoice. You can be at rock bottom today, and I promise there is something in your life that you can be thankful for. There is something God has given you that you can rejoice over.

You may not want to rejoice. You may not want to accept the gifts that God has given you (because sometimes God’s gifts don’t feel like gifts). But choosing to ignore God’s work in your life and in your heart is a mistake, even if it hurts or makes you uncomfortable.

In those moments where you feel like God is stretching you, rejoice. In those moments where following God and trusting Him makes you uncomfortable, rejoice. In those moments where praising Him and thanking Him doesn’t feel like it makes sense, do it anyway.

Joy is a spiritual gift, yes, but it’s also something you choose to do. If you know Jesus, you already have the capacity for joy in your heart, but until you choose to use it, you aren’t going to see the difference it can make in your life.

Once you start to rejoice, it’s hard to stop. Once you begin to acknowledge all the good things God has done for you, it won’t be long before you’re overflowing with joy. Because there’s so much. There are so many things God has done for us, from the smallest gift to the biggest blessing, and once we make the space to acknowledge them, we will be overwhelmed with God’s care and provision and love. And you won’t be able to contain the relief and the peace and the pure, unadulterated happiness you feel at understanding how great God is.

Pretty soon, your spiritual life might just be overflowing like a neglected laundry hamper. So is this permission to let your laundry overflow so that you can see for yourself what joy could look like in your life? Absolutely.

(No, not really. Do your laundry.)

For Reflection

• When was the last time you made a list of all the blessings in your life?

• What is one thing in your life right now, physical, emotional or spiritual, that you can praise God for?

• How would your attitude change if you spent more time praising God instead of complaining about what you don’t have?

Weekly Memory Verse