The Right Attitude!

As you can probably tell by reading my last two blog posts, JOY plays a very important place in my life… and in fact, always has!  I come from an outwardly joyful family, especially on my mother’s side.  Then in high school I was drawn to a cute and extremely joyful young lady with whom I could not spend enough time with… a feeling and heart-felt desire that continued for the next 48 years!  And now that she’s been gone for three years, it only takes a look at one of her many pictures that I have on the walls of our home to break me into a large smile and a hardy laugh, as I remember her JOYFUL countenance and fun-loving personality!

If you knew Piper, then you knew that you could not separate who she was from her Christian walk.  And when we read the Bible, we see that JOY also plays a huge part within our daily walk of faith.  Paul who in his life took more physical, mental and emotional persecution and abuse than anyone of us would in three lifetimes, wrote extensively about the importance of JOY throughout his epistles. 

He encouraged his readers in Philippians 4:4 by enthusiastically declaring: “Be cheerful with joyous celebration in every season of life. Let joy overflow, for you (as a Christian) are united with the Anointed One!” (The Passion Translation) The Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary states that “JOY is the predominant feature of the Epistle.”

As I read and study this particular translation, it is more than apparent that Paul was instructing us of how JOY… in EVERY part of life… isn’t just an emotion but an attitude.  If you recall, Paul wrote this epistle while in a Roman prison, with his very life on the line.  He was telling us that Biblical JOY goes far beyond how one may feel at any particular time in their lives.  To him… JOY was an attitude of the heart!

It was an attitude that I saw in Piper from her teenage years up to and including the last eight years of her life when the ravages of Alzheimer’s were waging havoc on her brain and body.  Her first response in just about any situation was a smile and an attitude of JOY. 

I remember the first time that we took a shower together after our marriage in our little 2-bedroom apartment.  She stepped in the tub first and I followed her in.  She adjusted the water to her comfort level, got thoroughly wet and then shifted places with me and began to lather up her beautiful long hair.  Well… as soon as I hit the water… I screamed out in terror as the water (to me) was scalding hot!  (Okay… honestly… if she were here, she’d say I screamed like a girl!) I almost knocked her over as I jumped from under the stream and steam and bumped heavily into her… which wouldn’t have been a great way to start off our marriage… if I had knocked her down and bruised her in the tub…

But Piper… did she get upset, get startled or push me off?  NO!  She just started laughing!  So… what could I do but break into laughter along with her!  I guess it was one of the many lessons that we would learn about each other in our quest to live together… happily ever-after!

The JOY that bubbled over from inside of her could quench almost any situation.  Even when she would get visibly upset, her attitude of JOY kept her emotions in check and helped her to deal with conflict or other upsetting situations with self-control and a sound mind.

In this regard, Paul also wrote in Philippians 3:1, “My beloved ones, don’t ever limit your joy or fail to rejoice in the wonderful experience of knowing our Lord Jesus! I don’t mind repeating what I’ve already written you because it protects you—” (The Passion Translation)  You see, an ATTITUDE of JOY can help you to be your best, do your best and thereby experience the best outcomes in life.

Piper’s attitude of JOY never waned… even under the pressures of the attack of Alzheimer’s.  In her times of lucidity, she was always herself.  She would smile, have a peaceful demeanor and the little she did speak was always joyful and encouraging in content.  I had a few people (based on stories that they had heard), do their best to try and convince me that because of the disease, she was going to get violent with me at times.  But I laughed it off (to their face… sorry… might have been a little rude at the time) and told them that I KNEW what was inside of my wife and that she would NEVER react that way… and she NEVER did!

In fact, as many of you know… the very last words she spoke, months before her home-going, was when she suddenly turned to me one morning at breakfast, looked me in the eyes and said, “I LOVE YOU”

I can’t think of a better way to demonstrate the lifetime effects that an ATTITUDE of JOY can have in the life of a believer who is yielded to the Lord, and works diligently to keep the JOY and grow it!  …can YOU?

Have a great week and keep EXPECTING God’s best in your life! 

In my next post I’ll talk a little bit about what our JOY needs to be focused on and fueled by!