The Colors of Joy
When I was 23 years old, someone shared a spiritual concept with me which completely changed the way I thought of myself, the colors and types of clothing I wore, even the activities I was involved in.
At the age of 12, I had come to understand that Jesus Christ died for my sins and had accepted His gift of forgiveness for my sins. I really wanted to be a “good” Christian and do what He asked, according to the Bible. But no matter how hard I tried; it just didn’t seem to work.
I would go along, trying to live the Christian life, but just not seeming to have it all together. Then, a week of special services would be planned for our church, and I would go. During that time, I would feel convicted of different attitudes and actions that I knew were displeasing to God, and would confess them. I would have that same feeling of cleanliness, of forgiveness, and an all-encompassing joy that I had when I first came to accept Jesus into my life.
But, a week or two after the series of meetings, that sense of joy and peace would be gone. So, the next time there was a series of meetings at the church, I would be there, seeking that experience again.
Finally, at the age of 23 I was finished with this “Christian” experience. It seemed to come and go. The only difference between my life and those who were not Christians was that I had “fire insurance”.
Looking for…and finding joy
That fall I started working for a Christian company. One of the trainings they gave all new employees was a week of one to two-hour sessions a day on the basics of the Christian life; such as how to be sure you are a Christian and understanding the role of the Holy Spirit in the Christian’s life.
It was the session on understanding the role of the Holy Spirit in the Christian’s life that changed my life. I learned what the Holy Spirit can do for a Christian; I learned that you need to let God have complete control of your life; I learned that the fruit of letting God have control was love, joy, peace – all those things I was looking for in my Christian experience. All I had to do was ask God.
I wanted the end result, but I just knew some things would have to go, should I let Him have control. And one of those things would be my boyfriend. I wrestled with this for a week. Finally I reasoned, “My boyfriend is a strong Christian and why would God take that from me?” So, I prayed, and I asked God to take His place on the throne of my life.
Within days, my boyfriend broke off with me in order to date my best friend. I was so devastated that I went into a mild depression for about six months. At that point, the coworker who had taught the basic spiritual disciplines when I first joined the company, challenged me. She said, “You may have invited God to take control, but you aren’t letting Him have control. You have wallowed in depression for days now. Try letting Him be in control for several days, before you throw it all away, and just see what He does.”
I accepted the challenge. For the next several days, I would pray each morning, and many more times throughout the day, “God, You be in control.”
And I changed. I began to enjoy living again. I enjoyed being with people again. I stopped telling people my “pity me” relationship story. My attitudes and actions change. I began to wear colors and clothing that suited who I was. I began to be involved in people’s lives without fear of what they thought of me.
Over 20 years have gone by since learning that concept, and it still “works.” Are you willing to accept the challenge of letting God have complete control of your life, continually? Then do it, and your life will become the great adventure God designed it to be.
God wants to be our leverage in living, empowering us to feel better about ourselves, more excited about our future, more grateful for those we love and more enthusiastic about our faith.
If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, God has given you His Holy Spirit to help you live life according to His perfect plan. Why not pray this simple prayer and by faith invite Him to fill you with His Spirit:
Dear Father, I need You. I acknowledge that I have sinned against You by directing my own life. I thank You that You have forgiven my sins through Christ’s death on the cross for me. I now invite Christ to again take His place on the throne of my life. Fill me with the Holy Spirit as You commanded me to be filled, and as You promised in Your Word that You would do if I asked in faith. I pray this in the name of Jesus. As an expression of my faith, I thank You for directing my life and for filling me with the Holy Spirit. Amen.
If you prayed this prayer, we would love to hear about it!
