Today, say "yes" to joy!

"The joy of the Lord is your strength." Nehemiah 8:10

Lenny was desperate to lose weight, so his doctor told him, "Eat normally for two days, then skip a day. Repeat this pattern for six weeks and you'll lose 10 pounds. Amazingly, after two weeks he dropped 20! "How'd you do it?" the doctor asked. "Honestly, Doc, I thought I'd die!" replied. "Were you that hungry?" the doctor asked. "No!" Lenny exclained, "But that third day of skipping and jumping all day nearly wrecked me!" Life doesn't have to be so hard! We make it that way by saying no to joy because we don't think we deserve it. Feeling deprived and "virtuous" doesn't make points with God, nor does acting like a martyr hoping somebody will rescue you.
A little boy asked his mom if he could sleep over at his friend's house. "Why?" she asked. "Just for fun," he replied. "But you slept over last night," she said. "Who says you can't have fun two nights in a row?" he reasoned. Beware of imposing so many rules and regulations on yourself that you're like the Pharisees who became slaves to the very laws they created. How long has it been since you said yes to a little lighthearted fun? Paul says, "Be full of joy now!" What are you waiting for? If you pride yourself on always being structured, steadfast and serious, it's time to balance the scales and start building some spontaneity into your life. The Bible says, "Let those...who love Your name be joyful...and be in high spirits" (Ps 5:11); "Be happy...rejoice and be glad-hearted continually" (1Th 5:16). Today, say "yes" to joy!