100 things about me # 75 was I don’t like going to church and #76 was I
hope that changes. So twice in a year is great for me.
It being Independence/4th of July weekend and all, the pastor’s sermon
was about Freedom. He went through several Bible verses that detail all
of the things that we are free from: sin, death, fear, guilt, etc, etc,
etc… I’m not going to cover those verses here. I’ll leave that to
someone more qualified like my brother who studied at the seminary and who
has talked about starting his very own blog.
Anyway, the sermon did leave me thinking about my (our) own freedom to
Chase Joy. On July 4th 1776 it was declared one of our unalienable
Rights. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are
created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain
unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the PURSUIT
OF HAPPINESS.”
So if it is my (our) legal right to Chase Joy, and my spirituality/faith
grants me (us) the freedom to Chase Joy. Why haven’t I (we) caught
it???? Am I not Chasing it as rigorously as I think? Am I only barley
grasping at Joy as it whizzes by lapping me on the track of life? Am I not
giving it my all? Or am I giving it all I’ve got but still being held
back by invisible shackles of fear that deny me the Freedom to Chase Joy
with all my might??? Shackles that keep me chained in a cell we often
misleadingly call our comfort zone?
How do I get these chains off me? God has told me I’m free. My country
has told me It is my unalienable right. So the only thing holding me
back is myself, (and maybe a few Joy Thieves but I know what to do with
them), specifically my FEARS. I am afraid of embarrassment. I am afraid of disappointing others. I am afraid of being disappointed. I fear the changes that come with success. I fear the consequences of failure. I am afraid of opening my heart. I am afraid of loneliness. The good thing about fear is the more you talk (or blog) about it the less power it has over
you. When you put them out there you see how silly they are.
So start picking that lock on the invisible shackles that hold you back. What are you afraid of? What Fears do you need to become independent of to Freely Chase Joy???
oh and maybe we aren't meant to chase joy… maybe we already have it down inside us and just need to believe it to live it. 🙂
great post! love it! you hit on the point of why i don't like 12 step programs… they keep addicts, addicts, even if they are "in recovery".
if we believe we are free… we can't continue to say that once and addict, always an addict. anywho… it's just something that once i realized and believed, then i was set free of. 🙂
Wow! I'm afraid of so many things! I'm most fearful of loneliness; can't stand to hear my own thoughts 🙁 I'm also too concerned about what other people think about me. Especially if it's negative! For some reason I forget to think of ALL the wonderful things I am capable of achieving with just the ONE negative remark. No need for someone else to judge me because I'll be doing the guilt trip on myself for free LOL!
But all kidding aside, I do strive to overcome these fears and step by step I am getting there. Of course, in order to overcome it, God gives us plenty of opportunities to practice! I want to think that with every day that ends, I am a bit closer to achieving my Joy and passing it along to my daughters.
Great inspiring song that I blast in my car or at home when I need a little courage! Fear by Jazmine Sullivan. http://youtu.be/K3K9Rr0xa4A
Nice post! please visit my site!
I watch JDaniel finding joy in small things. I need to do the same thing. Thanks for the reminder.
I am a ppl pleaser….many times i am afraid of letting ppl down. I have bn chipping away at this fear. I hv been saying no but I dont like the response i get when I do. As if i dont have the right to say no! Its that look ya know….i hate it and it makes me fearful to think about what ones response could be. I am also afraid of failing….many of us are but from childhood its bn so much pressure to do well….that still stands! Well i have bn going to school for 3 1/2 yrs,2 children, relationship, and work. Im exhausted daily. So i told my mother that im taking a leave of absence from school b4 i lose my mind….all she could do was look at me in pure sadness! Well dang can i not need a minute before i lose my mind….i hv bn dealing with that look for yrs…well no more….my break starts in 2 wks and ends in october! Its about me!
Mel