The Practice of Joy

Practicing joy will release your personality. It will set free your God given powers, increase your health and stimulate your enthusiasm.

Dr. John A. Schindler, a physician and Dr. Robert J. Havighurst in their book, "How to live one hundred years happily", states that between 35% and 50% of ill people are sick, principally because they are unhappy. Dr. Schindler tells of the importance of happy thinking to a sound well-being. He stresses the great value of getting patients to lift their minds daily in the area of pure joy.

Is it any wonder that the Bible tells us to be joyful? "Rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice" Philippians 4:4. Joy is not the ultimate end and aim of life. Joy is greatly encouraged by God for the purpose of teaching us how to be alive. It makes the most of all our creator has endowed us with. Joy releases, frees us from conflicts and helps to enter us into a state of personal harmony so we can become a well ordered person.

Joy and harmony always go together. When you are in harmony, all the elements of your life work for your good. You will be in a right relationship with God, the world and others. Joy is the lubricant of the mind, the nerves, the muscles and the heart. It flows from your thoughts into your entire being affecting everything you do. So how do you start practicing joy? How can you train yourself to live according to joy? A first but big step is to simply learn to think joy. There is a God given law that says if you wish to live a particular way, think that way over a long period of time!