Father, May I Always Be JOYful!

          Have you had your JOY JUICE today?  It’s not a game..it’s reality that if you will consistently drink in the things of God, you will experience JOY in the Lord!

            I’ve been reminiscing about some of the games I used to play as a child.  It’s funny that some of those same games that I enjoyed as a little girl, our grandJOYs still do today.  One of those games is “Mother, May I?”  You remember it.  You have one leader who is “Mother”.  She (or he) gives directions for each of the players, but before they can move, they must ask “Mother, May I?”  If they forget to ask, then they have to go all the way back to the starting line!  If they follow the rules and ask permission, then they move ahead, until one player finally gets close enough to tag “Mother” and becomes the new leader of the game.  The goal is to become the boss who gives the instructions.

            How many of us like to be the “boss” of our lives?  Ummmm….I’m guessing about 99.9 % of us! The reality is we all have authorities.  And the Bible tells us that we are to respect those authorities.  We may not always agree with them, but we should remember that God has put them there.  Romans 13:1 says, “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.”

             An entire network of people has been placed by God into positions of leadership. From government officials to the leaders in our workplaces and in our families, we have authorities. Coming under authority and showing respect isn't always easy. That’s another reason we must rely on God to fill us with His wisdom and joy.

            “Father, may I accept the authorities in my life…joyfully.”