En-JOY Your Life – By Means, Spiritually

THE SPIRIT WORKING BEHIND THE SCENES knits thought together in seemingly harmless ways but always according to the purposes of God. Nothing in this way is ever an accident. [This thought ignited by a dear friend.]

I love playing with words like a kitten does with a ball of wool or a young leopard with a novice impala before it savours its first fresh kill.

When we “enjoy” things we’re in the process of being ‘in-joy’ for the ancient languages that feed into our English held “en” as equivalent to our “in.”

So, what is the relevance?

Life is to be en-joyed. We’re purposed for a life that is, in a sense, a total joy—a state of in-joy-ment—or a movement toward that state.

And this, at its final resting place, speaks of hope. It’s the hope of coming joy that keeps us smiling through the madness, the fury, the sadness’s, the tears. Hope remains for joy, for peace at last.

To be in-joy and to “enjoy” are one and the same thing. Whilst we enjoy something we’re in-joy and our whole life purpose is to achieve this state continually.

The only way we can do this is to become spiritually one with God. He is the only one who can give us the power of continual spiritual in-joy-ment, not that this is “happiness” as we usually associate it as. But it is an appreciation for life and all it holds for us. It’s a long-term view if you like.

It’s an “accepting” state that runs with the flow of life.

Joy is not really happiness. Joy is an inside job. To en-joy, truly “in” ourselves, is to feel within the safety of knowing God and his Presence with us. It’s a sense of peace in that.

Joy is available in pain. Joy acknowledges the pain is real, that it’s horrible just now, but it waits patiently in hope, for a better time is coming. We never enjoy pain but we can remain in-joy for a future time and a future state that is coming. We can also remain in-joy for what the pain is achieving in us, if we’ll let it—that funnel to maturity. The hope for these things is enough to keep a smiling light burning better-than-dimly within.

This is when we know we truly know God—when we can feel this kind of joy at the depths. It’s the safest place to be. It’s the place where the Holy Spirit calls us home, residing as welcomed houseguest-unto-family-member.

© 2010 S. J. Wickham.