Be joyful always." 1 Thessalonians 5:6 "Again I say rejoice. "Philippians 4:4

One of the fruits of the Spirit is joy. So many women today seem to be unhappy. And not just the women of the World. I personally am acquainted with Christian women who never seem to be happy. The mood of the home is usually the mood of the wife and mother. "If momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy" is one of those funny but true statements. Our children and our husbands often reflect what is felt in the home. "A quarrelsome wife is like a constant dripping on a rainy day." Proverbs 27:15. Criticism and nagging can become a habit. We don't even realize we are doing it, and our family becomes hardened in their hearts to the drip, drip drip of little criticisms. We really only want them to be the best they can be, but each of us must be careful with our words. We often take the joy out of small pleasures for our children, our husbands, and our friends.

We worry too much about outward appearances and what people may think. How often have you said to your husband or your teenager, "You surely aren't wearing that outfit are you?" And only after it is out of my mouth, and I see the look on their face do I realize what I have done. I have humiliated and hurt the one I love, and it really isn't an important issue at all. Teenagers and clothes are always a point of distress. Many times we are making it more important that it needs to be. A rule of thumb at our home "If it isn't illegal, immoral or indecent then we can talk about it." Everyone needs some form of self-expression. A cutting comment from Mom can steal the joy from the moment for your teenager.

And so what if my husband has worn that shirt to church for the past three Sundays. I am probably the only one who knows what shirt he wore last week anyway. Does it matter if there is paint on the pants he has on? He's just going to the store. Each little nagging comment takes a bit of joy from his life at that moment. I

I once watched a little boy playing with a spoon in a glass of Kool-Aid. Red Kool-Aid is such fun to stir and when it splashes it makes lovely puddles on the table. I saw his mother go to the faucet, get a glass of water, and replace the Kool-Aid with the clean water. "Here now stir to your heart's delight" she smiled. What a lovely way to handle the situation. I am sure I would have grabbed the Kool-Aid glass, quarreled at the youngster for making a mess and sent him on his way. No joy in that scenario. We must learn to enjoy the moment.

Proverbs 17:7 reads "A cheerful heart is good medicine." Joy is catching. When we demonstrate the inner contentment and true joy that comes with Christ we are sharing the attitude of Joy. When we leave a group do the people feel lifted up? I want people to feel such joy when they are with me that their comment becomes, “whatever she has I want it." And then we can share Jesus.