Unresolved Joy

Written on September 26, 2014.

Having a headache is a rarity for me. But recently, I had one that was enduring, though NOT endearing). It persisted to the point that I knew it was time to call in reinforcements. So, I grabbed Scott and we set about finding the source of the pain.

In the past, a headache has been the sign of something unresolved in me. The most common issue we have found when calling in the light has been grief. Traditionally, I was not a good griever! But after a year when seven people close to us passed away, it became important to get those little grief pockets popped and released!

As we basked in HIS presence, we pursued the grief thread, but nothing was really being highlighted. Scott felt led to put his hand on my back and when He did I saw a bulging packet. This encapsulated spot had what looked like many beads residing in it.

I asked Pappa, “What’s in the packet?” Quickly I heard, “Unresolved joy.” Umm…yikies!! That wasn’t what I was expecting to hear. It deeply stunned me when I realized that having something good trapped inside seemed worse than something negative. But Pappa confirmed that. He said that having unresolved or unreleased joy kept places within that were hurting from being ministered to. If joy was released, it could immediately journey to a place of grief or pain and release truth to it! Wow! And it caused my body to groan for redemption. My body alerted me that a storehouse within me had not been released and creation needed it. We do this all the time for land, but I hadn’t seen it the context of another part of creation – me!!!

And so I asked Pappa to show me what I hadn’t released the joy of. He showed me numerous situations over the past months where I had released testimonies but not the joy that came with them. I remembered times where I felt it wasn’t necessarily okay to express joy. Joy can be a threat, sadly, and so grief and sorrow have become the marking of Pappa’s Kingdom more than absolute joy.

This very mindset was instrumental in the establishing of the “testimony wave” or wave offering (those who have been anywhere Scott and I have spoken know what that means!!). Time after time, we would share testimonies that were so over the top, but the response would be a courtesy clap at most. Its just felt like we can share as long as we stop short of really releasing His heart fully, meaning, we stop short of celebrating what it means to Him.

So, we are a people who have unresolved joy. It has become encapsulated in the body of Christ and is bringing pain instead of ministering to the body as it was designed to. There is a big storehouse to be opened!

I was so grateful that Pappa showed me what I (and the body) had been keeping locked up and especially that there was something He wanted to do about it. Whoot!! I love Pappa. He comes with the solution before we even know there is a problem!

As I pursued Him on releasing the joy inside me, He invited me to first truly understand what joy is.

JOY

From the hebrew root: to be glad, to tremble, elation, to display, leap, dance, spring across threshold, to be useful, to profit those who receive, to help, to be well, to thrive.

From the greek root: keen (to sharpen, shape or pierce), feeling of delight so deep and lasting one radiates, pleasure leading to active expression, something which the source of is greatly valued or appreciated.

So when we release joy we tremble (shake things out that shouldn’t be so what always intended can be), we are a profit to those around us, we are well – in fact we thrive. Joy is meant to sharpen and pierce us and others to a place that it lasts and literally comes from us.

I was pretty excited about that, but there was one more definition that ruined me! It (kauchaomai) means glory or to glory with reason or without. Whoa!! In digging deeper, I found that joy and glory derive from the same root word!! In fact, on twenty of the occasions that glory is used in scripture it is that root which is used. One definition of glory is ornament. We really miss this when we only see the glory as something that comes down. It is truly meant to come from us – be released out of us. We continuously ask for something that has already been given. It is our inheritance which is given to us so we can give it away. When we resolve or release joy, we release His glory in a way that WILL cover the earth.

With this impartation, I repented for all the joy I allowed to be contained. I then began releasing, proclaiming and celebrating the joy. Being honest, this led to an hour of disco dancing through the house and caused much trembling in the fab five!! But joy was released and I gotta tell ya, one major impact was that I suddenly felt stronger (and the headache went away). I understood "the joy (glory) of the Lord is my strength" utterly and completely. Whoa! The strength of joy invaded every fiber of me and with it came a new energy, an invigoration for everything in front of me.

Try it!! Ask Pappa to shine His light and show you all places where you contained joy instead of releasing it. Don’t allow that joy to be encapsulated one more moment. Spread the word – that His glory may cover the earth like water the sea!!

If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. John 15:1-12