The holidays can bring a lot of mixed emotions. Sometimes it’s joy, sometimes grief, sometimes anticipation, sometimes anxiety. Especially this year, there is a mix of things we feel and it can be hard to truly capture joy after a challenging year or in a particularly challenging time.
As I’ve pondered this concept of how to capture joy in my life in this holiday season, I keep coming back to this passage in 2 Cor 10:5: ”We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”
I think about this passage in terms of taking captive negative thoughts, rejecting the negative them and replacing them with positive ones. But another concept comes to mind as well. How good am I at capturing the joyful thoughts that skim through my mind?
What if I took captive every GOOD thought that ran through my mind in order to be obedient to Christ?
Too often these good thoughts get barely recognized in our minds, they pop up, maybe they trigger a half-smile for us and then we let the wave of negativity wash them away. What if we instead chose to take captive the good thoughts, capture the joy that God is trying to bring in, and take the time to relish in his goodness and His gifts?
What are some of the good things that could be skimming through your mind during this time?
Maybe you love Christmas decorations? Does putting them up and then seeing your house light up bring you joy? I personally LOVE Christmas lights! I think ornaments are great too but if there are lights up on my tree and in my house that is enough to spark some joy in my mind!
Maybe it’s seeing your immediate family get some extra, and slower, time together this holiday season. It may be sad to be far from extended family through these holidays but who can we be joyful about having close by, within our home? Let God bring joy through those relationships near, even though we are missing other people in our hearts as well.
Maybe the holidays don’t typically trigger joy for you in general, and this season is all that much harder. What joy can you capture from a sunny day, from stars in the sky, from looking at the mountains, from a walk in the fresh air?
What if we did more than just watch a funny show on Netflix or chuckle inside at a funny meme online? What if we took the time to be grateful that something could break up the sadness or disrupt the tension?
Maybe the present moment doesn’t feel like the most joyful time you’ve gone through. What if you took some time to remember joyful moments before: memories you are grateful for, prayers God answered or blessings he gave? Remembering past victories and blessings not only increases our faith but, if we capture these memories in our thoughts, they can bring us present joy as well!
I always feel convicted by this scripture in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18: Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
Sometimes this seems like an impossible task. Rejoice always? Pray without ceasing? Give thanks in all circumstances? These are some very high callings. However, if it’s his will for us to rejoice always, he will give us something to rejoice about… we just have to capture it.
If he wants us to pray without ceasing, he will be constantly present to listen (that’s something that can definitely bring us joy).
If he wants us to give thanks in all circumstances he will provide so many things to be thankful for that the list could seem unending. Our list of things to be grateful is truly unending if we take some time to focus on it.
God’s will is for us to capture the joy he is placing in our lives. Even in challenging times. Even when the holidays feel crazy, or different, or sad. God wants us to be able to capture joy and hold those thoughts captive in our hearts and minds.
So how about this Christmas, we each take some time to capture the joy in our lives? You could make a list of things you are grateful for, pause to savor when something makes you smile, or share with others something that brought you joy. Pray to see and focus on the good things God is doing in your life.
I believe if we each focus on Capturing Joy this holiday season, it can be a truly uplifting season no matter our circumstances!