Women of Faith - Experiencing Contagious Joy

2006 Christa Kinde

Previously published as Contagious Joy.

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Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from The Holy Bible, The New King James Version NKJV). 1979, 1980, 1982, Thomas Nelson, Inc., Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from The Holy Bible, The New Living Translation (NLT). 1986 by Tyndale House Publishers, Wheaton, Illinois, 60189. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NCV are taken from The Holy Bible, New Century Version. 1987, 1988, 1991 by Word Publishing, a Division of Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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ISBN: 978-0-3106-8249-3

ISBN: 978-0-3106-8250-9 (eBook)

First Printing February 2016

CONTENTS

In this ebook edition, please use your devices note-taking function to record your thoughts wherever you see the bracketed instructions [Your Notes] or [Your Response]. Use your devices highlighting function to record your response whenever you are asked to checkmark, circle, underline, or otherwise indicate your answer(s).

Contagious: Spreading or tending to spread from one to another; catching.
Joy: A condition or feeling of high pleasure or delight.

I love when one unexpected word comes together with another unexpected word, and in the marriage of the two, they bring us a whole new dimension of understandinglike in the case of contagious and joy.

Contagious for me always brings to mind my sons, who during their childhood, were riddled with measles, chickenpox, or some other illness. Then there were the annual notes from school warning parents of outbreaks of head lice, which prompted me to dig through their curly locks in search of trouble.

Instead of connecting contagious and disease, how refreshing to think of contagious teamed with joy. Then instead of fearing an outbreak, wed embrace contagious, because who do you know wouldnt love a case of contagious joy?

We believers have the commission to spread joy in this world in order to combat the insidious spread of hopelessness. Now dont misunderstandwhen I say spread, I dont mean like smearing peanut butter across a slice of bread. I dont mean that we should try to apply joy onto others. No, true joy spreads as we live out Gods way in our lives with such credibility that others move closer to purposely catch it.

I dont think there are many qualities that are as winsome as joy. Think about itdo you know a joyous person? Do you not want to be with them at every opportunity? I know I do.

Joy-people are popular, in demand, hired first, applauded, appreciated, and sought out. Joy makes hard days easier, dark days brighter, optimism possible, and friendships a pleasure.

My friend Mary Graham is a pleasure and an authentic joy bubble. She radiates warmth, demonstrates faith, and her perspective on even difficulties is a bright lantern. I have seldom, if ever, seen Mary stuck in the muck of daily challenges or entwined in the webs of ornery folks. Joy has created a large space in her heart for a diversity of people whom she receives with unbridled enthusiasm. I have watched Mary choose to believe the best and leave the rest to the Lord.

I say, sign me up for a big fat case of that!

Actually, thats what you have decided to do when you commit yourself to this study, because it has been written in such a way that the truth will cause us to sidle up to joy and learn from it. And trust mejoy is an appealing teacher.

Im not talking about any syrupy substitute of overdone nicenessyuk! Im speaking of joy that burbles up from your relationship with Christ. Joy that will cause your toes to tap, your heart to giggle, your dreams to return, your spirit to be refreshed, your vision to expand, and your dance card to fill. And what fun to have a case of something others want! You wont have to convince others about joy, because joy will cast her net of authenticity and draw in even the reluctant. Joy is just that appealing.

So, sharpen your pencil, open Gods Word, and get ready. Youre about to break out into contagious joy! May you never recover!

Patsy Clairmont

A twinkle in the eye means joy in the heart.

Proverbs 15:30 MSG

Youre walking down the street on a dreary, drizzly day. Everything is gray and gloomy, damp and disheartening. Shoulders hunched against the wet, you slog ahead in a dismal funk. Then, something catches your interest. Your ears pick up the sound of a cheerful whistle just ahead. To your astonishment, youre confronted with a woman in a luminescent yellow raincoat and bright green galoshes toting a polka-dot umbrella. Her spirits are obviously undampened by the inclement weather. In fact, she appears to be dancing to her own tune right between the raindrops. Suddenly, she takes a mighty leap, landing in a particularly large puddle and making a satisfying ker-splash. A smile tugs at your own lips. You cant help it. This gals joy is contagious!

Joy has a way of working its way from the inside out. When our lives are filled with joy, we turn heads, too! The symptoms are unmistakable. A twinkle in the eye. A ready smile. A skip in the step. A song in the heart. Joy lends a glow to the face and a lilt to the voice. Joyful people whistle while they work and break into spontaneous song. And joy is contagious. So, what about you? Would you be diagnosed as a puddle plodder, or a puddle jumper?

Yearning for a more joyful outlook on life? Joy is the birthright of every believer, but rainy days have a way of distracting us from that fact. In this study, well take a careful look at this uniquely Christian characteristic. We have every reason to be joyful. We can express our inner joy in numerous ways. We can even hang onto joy when other emotions clamor through our hearts. Joy can have the effect of effervescence, exuberance, exhilaration, and enthusiasm. Joy is our strength and our song. It provides a solid foundation in our hearts. And although joy isnt exactly the same as happiness or glee, it leads conveniently into them. Joy is infectious, transmittable, spreadable, and catching. In a word, joy is contagious!