In the midst of a busy and stressful daily life, one way to maintain joy -- and spread joy to others -- is by understanding that joy is relational, according to E. James Wilder, Sheila Sutton, John and Sungshim Loppnow, and Anna Kang.
Wilder and Sutton co-authored the book, 'Joy Starts Here,' and the Loppnows, Kang, and Wilder co-authored 'Joyful Journey.' In both books, the authors aim to equip believers with practical exercises through which they could maintain joy in their daily lives. The five authors were also featured at a conference called "Joy Starts Here" from June 5 to 6, during which they helped attendees practice these exercises directly.
The exercises all involve relationship -- either the relationship between the individual and God, or the relationships between the individual and other people. Wilder explained that with the recent advancements of technology, people have been spending more and more time on their smartphones or computers, and less and less time in face to face interaction with others, causing "relational skills to become extinct." The exercises that the authors present help the individual to stay relational with God and with others.
One exercise involves "resetting the brain's 'normal' state" by practicing the deliberate expression and feeling of appreciation. "Joy is relational," they explain, "and appreciation keeps us relational." By learning to feel appreciation and extend appreciation on a regular basis, the brain's 'normal state' resets to one of appreciation, they said.
E. James Wilder was one of the speakers at the recent 'Joy Starts Here' Conference in Northridge, CA.
Another exercise involves what the authors call 'interactive gratitude.' This exercise involves writing down appreciation and gratefulness to God, but also sensing and writing God's response to the individual as well. A similar exercise is referred to as 'Immanuel journaling' by the authors, which involves writing down the interactive gratitude, and then writing an impression of how God would respond while saying the following: "I can see you," "I can hear you," "I understand how big it is," "I am glad to be with you," and "I can do something about it."
Some may question whether such exercises are "putting words in God's mouth." The authors considered that concern, and said, "We know we are capable of misunderstanding what God might be saying to us, yet the greater danger arises from never attempting or desiring to understand what God might be saying to us to guide us."
An individual's impression of God's response toward him or her must come from an understanding of God's character, they added, and that understanding comes from studying the Bible.
"We want to emphasize the importance and necessity of engaging ourselves in studying the Bible on a regular basis in order for us to increase our ability to recognize God's voice," the authors said. "We believe that getting to know God and His character (who God says He is) is a crucial part of increasing our ability to recognize God's voice."
"God is glad to be with us in all circumstances," they explained. "He is always initiating the restoration of our relationships with Him and others. He is continuously working on our behalf. Immanuel journaling allows us to be more aware of these truths."
Attendees of the recent 'Joy Starts Here' conference participated in Immanuel journaling and shared their journals with each other.
The conference was hosted by Life Model Works, the non-profit organization that aims to help recovery and transformation in churches, particularly from trauma and addiction. Life Model Works will be hosting the conference in multiple locations throughout the nation, including at Washington, D.C., Georgia, Hawaii, Michigan, and Florida, as well as in South Korea.
