The Man Who Told Me to Leap for Joy
View all responsesA man told me to jump for joy when I am persecuted. I’ve discovered that obeying His words by jumping for joy when I don’t feel like it causes joy to jump into my heart and puts a smile on my face. It overrides my unpleasant feelings with fun and silliness. Hop to it and see for yourself.
Joy is like a jump ball. Leap up and grab it. Then pass it around.
To more fully enjoy life be a joy-jumper and a faith-leaper. Joyous jumping doesn’t require lessons. Simply leap in faith. Before you jump to negative conclusions, jump awhile for joy.
Sometimes a smile is just a hop, skip, and joyful jump away. Get a jump on inner peace. Stay one joy-jump away from sadness. Leap for joy at least once a day.
Perhaps the biggest leap of faith is to do what Jesus said and jump for joy when you are persecuted. Jumping for joy is seldom seen in adults (except for at sporting events and on TV game shows) They are generally embarrassed to jump for joy because they don’t want to hear anyone say: “Jeepers creepers — look at those crazy leapers!”
Spirit-led jumps of joy and leaps of faith are powerful exercises. They can turn spiritual couch potatoes into mighty Christ-followers.
Little children love to jump for joy, especially on beds and couches. Once they get started it’s hard to stop them.
Once I jumped up and down for joy when I was rejected. Then someone called the police on me.
I was selling books door-to-door one summer while I was in college. My company instructed me to overcome rejection by rejoicing and jumping for joy the next time someone slammed the door on me. (That kinda sounds like what Jesus said: “Blessed are you when people hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in Heaven.”)
It didn’t take long for an opportunity to arise. A man slammed the door when I told him what I was selling, so I jumped around and cheered on his porch like my team had just scored a touchdown. A few minutes a later police car pulled up beside me as I was walking through the neighborhood. Two policemen began to interrogate me about my criminal activities on that man’s porch.
I confessed that I jumped and cheered when he slammed the door and I told them that my sales company had told me to do it. One of them jumped all over me and then very seriously and police-like said, “We strongly suggest that you no longer do that.” What party poopers!
When you jump for joy your frown will turn upside down. One small step away from sadness can be a giant leap toward happiness. Jumping for joy can help your heart leap over sadness.
Jump at the opportunity to obey the Holy Spirit. (See Romans 8:14.) Wherever Christians gather is supposed to be a safe place to open your heart to God and to one another. It should be a safe place to leap for joy. Make it so!
A leap into the light will lighten your load. Jump out of your sin and into God mercy and forgiveness.
I love to spend time with people who like to pray aloud with me, who like to talk to and listen to Jesus together, who like to rejoice and celebrate His presence together, who like to pour out their heart in verbal expressions of adoration and praise to Him. I like to see people be so bold and moved by the Spirit that they even leap for joy in His presence.
If you want to grow
By leaps and bounds
Hang around
The risen Jesus
And jump
When He says jump.
To jump for joy
Let your heart
Always host
Father, Son,
And Holy Ghost.
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