Joy No Matter What

In review of Philippians 4:6 it says, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.”

Bottom Line:

Don’t worry about anything, instead, pray about everything. With a thankful heart tell God what you need.

What this means to me:

I am not to worry about anything. Instead, I am to pray about everything. I am to tell him what I need and thank him for all he has done.

Worry will zap the joy out of life and life without joy can be overwhelming, overburdened, and oppressive. The more joy we have, the more productive we can be. In the book of Philippians, Paul uses the word “joy” 16 times. Interestingly enough, Paul didn’t write this book when he was on vacation in the Caribbean. He wrote this while he was in prison in Rome, waiting to be executed. In the darkest days of his life, he wrote the most positive book in the Bible.

In Philippians, Paul offers us six joy-builders that will help diffuse discouragement and lift depression. Here’s an acrostic; JOYFUL. Today, I’ll look at the first three.

J indicates a jettison of all regrets about the past. “Jettison” means “to abandon as worthless, to discard, to eliminate, to get rid of.” Paul says if you want to enjoy life, there are some things you’ve got to get rid of because they will wear you down and overburden your life. The Bible says to forget your regrets, because that's what God does; he chooses to forgive your mistakes once they're confessed. The starting point of joy is letting go of the past. Philippians 3:13 says, “One thing I do is to forget what is behind me and do my best to reach what is ahead” (GN).

O is for omitting all worries about the future. If you’re going to enjoy the present, you must omit all worries about the future. Worry is the greatest killjoy of them all. Its hard to be joyful and worried at the same time. Paul’s antidote are these verses: “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done” (Philippians 4:6 NLT). So I can either worry or I can pray.

Y is for yielding myself to God's purpose. If I’m just drifting, if I don’t know where you came from or where I’m going or why I’m here, then I’m not going to have any joy. I need to live for a cause that is greater than myself. Living for that greater cause is what brings joy. Living for myself will not bring joy.

Even when Paul had literally lost everything, there was one thing that could not be taken away from him; his purpose in life. Paul says in Philippians 1:21, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain” (NIV).

In order to have a joy-filled life, I need to get in line with God’s purpose for my life. When I begin to live the purpose for which I’m made, life will make sense, and joy will be more easily found.

Enjoying Life

In review of 1 Timothy 6:17 it says, “Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.”

Bottom Line:

Let those who are rich know that they shouldn't be trusting in their wealth, as it can be easily lost. Rather they should learn to put their trust and hope in God. God is the one who provides us with everything we need and should enjoy in life.

What this means to me:

I am to not put trust in money that I have in the bank or assets I own, these are things that are easily lost. Rather I should always look to God, as He is the one who provides all that I need and can enjoy in this life. Likewise I should communicate this same message to others.

This verse reminds me that when things are going well and I have some funds banked, it’s easy to relax and trust in having money to get me through it. With this thought pattern, I may be trusting in having this more than in trusting God to provide for me. This lesson comes at a key time, especially as I see account balance dwindle down to lesser amounts due to medical expenses that have just come in.

Also, money and the economy causes a lot of stress for people and can even affect me. Seems money that I have goes quicker than I would have liked it to have gone. This verse today also  reminds me that God has given me all I have to enjoy this life.

With Christ as my leader, I can enjoy life because my conscience is clear. I can enjoy life because I’m secure within God’s love. I can have fun and laugh in church. I can enjoy friends who don’t manipulate me because they are learning to be like Jesus, and that means they are learning to look out for the interests of others.

Unfortunately, there are those who do not want to let God into their lives because they fear he will make them give up anything that is fun. They think that to become a Christian is the same as saying the party’s over, that to be spiritual is to be miserable.

People are frantically looking for fun fixes, but that means they operate under the law of diminishing returns. They spend more time, more money, and more energy to get less and less of a thrill. They go around asking, “Are we having fun yet?”

The truth is, God “richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment” (1 Timothy 6:17b NIV).

God wants me to enjoy my life and all he has provided.  Today is a good day for me to thank God for all he has provided and how he as worked in my life. I want to enjoy each day, as it is a gift from God in which I can make a difference to those around me.

Opening My Eyes to God’s Vision

In review of Psalm 119:18 it says, “Open my eyes, so that I may see the wonderful truths in your law.”

Bottom Line:

Open my eyes to discover the wonderful truths that come in your Word.

What this means to me:

Allow me to open my mind to be able to see the wonderful truths that come from your Word.

God’s Word, the Bible, is filled with many examples of people getting God’s vision. People like, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, Hosea, Jonah, and Micah. Seeing God’s vision for own life is not a crazy thing. I’m learning that God will often use a mental picture to clarify the next step he wants me to take.

Traditionally I’m not a visual thinker. I tend to think more in words, rather than pictures. In order to get God’s vision I can:

First, ask God a specific question. In my quiet time, after I’ve read the Bible and prayed, and being quiet and waiting before God. I could ask, “God, is there anything you want to say to me?” And then wait. “God, is there anything I need to know that I’m not thinking about?” And then wait.

James 1:5 says, “If any of you need wisdom, you should ask God, and it will be given to you. God is generous and won’t correct you for asking” (CEV). God wants me to ask him for advice, and he wants me to be specific. He’s waiting for me to ask!

Second, look into God’s Word to see what God might want to say to me. Psalm 119:18 says: “Open my eyes, so that I may see the wonderful truths in your law” (TEV). I can use this verse as I pray as I open up God’s Word. Every answer to every problem I have can be found here. I just need to read, study, memorize, and meditate on it as I seek God’s vision for my life or even just for today.

Its often hard to be still. I’m use to so much stimulation, noise and distractions taking place. I need to just make time to be quiet and to calm my mind and thoughts so that I can hear Gods voice. Also, given the internet, fast food restaurants and microwave ovens, I’m so used to getting information and things quickly. This makes it more difficult to wait on anything. I used to getting immediate answers. It something doesn't happen quickly, I get impatient.

While I do spend time being quiet at home, it still seems rushed, as I want to get through some prayer time, eat breakfast and get on the road for my commute to work. I may just need to get up even earlier so that I can be quiet and listen to the Lord.

So far when it comes to vision from God, I get that he want’s me to be an example of a life that follows him. Then to share my experiences, counsel and mentor others.

Having a Regular Appointment With God

In review of Matthew 6:6 it says, “Find a quiet, secluded place so you won’t be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense his grace.”

Bottom Line:

When you pray, find a quiet and secluded place, pray to your father in private, then you Father who sees everything will bestow His grace upon you.

What this means to me:

When I pray, I am to find a quiet and secluded place and not try to role-play, but sit there being as simple and honest as I can, and then open my life and pray to God. Then I can hear God and not the noise of my life.  As a result, God who sees all, will be able to bestow his grace on me.

One things is certain, God will not try to speak above any noise I have going on in my life. I need to get alone and quiet (“quiet time.”) Jesus says it like this in Matthew 6:6: “Find a quiet, secluded place so you won’t be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense his grace”(MSG). I really like this translation of this verse as it gives me some specific things to keep in mind as I start my time with God. I need to get quiet. As I focus on Him, and open my conscience to his ever present presence, I can even feel the warmth of his grace surround me.

This quiet time alone with God each day, is key to hearing Him speak and to obtain what His vision is for my life. Also, I need to remember that God really wants to meet with me! So, this means, I’m not waiting on God; rather he’s waiting on me.

God made me to have a relationship with him. He wants me to spend time with him everyday. So I work on scheduling a date with him every day. God is the one who is waiting, it’s not me waiting on him. The great thing is that God is always available 24x7, there’s no waiting, no pre-scheduling time. It’s all up to me.

It can be really difficult to get alone in a quiet place today. There is some much noise constantly going on in life. Even in my house, my wife always has the TV on in the background whenever she is at home. Other than when we are sleeping, there’s very little time in when its absolutely quiet.

It is vitally important to find a time and place where it can be quiet.  For me, this is early in the morning, right after I get up and before my wife gets up.  I’ve also found that I can go to one of the rooms we have upstairs and close the door, (I’ve done this to complete certain homework assignments.)

So, in essence continuing to find time each day to be with Him should be a high priority.

The Spiritual Act of Journaling

In review of Habakkuk 2:2 it says, “The LORD gave me this answer: ‘Write down clearly on tablets what I reveal to you, so that it can be read at a glance.’”

Bottom Line:

Then the Lord said, write down clearly what I reveal to you so that it can be read at a glance.

What this means to me:

When the Lord speaks to me, I am to write it down clearly so that it can be viewed over and over again.

If I want to hear God speak and answer me, I need to withdraw to a quiet place, wait patiently and expectantly, and ask God make it clear to me what he wants to say. When he does, I am to write it down or record it.

In the book of Habakkuk, the Lord commands the author to “write down clearly on tablets what I reveal to you, so that it can be read at a glance” (Habakkuk 2:2 TEV). I pretty sure this how the book of Habakkuk came to be. In chapter one, Habakkuk wrote down what he said to God. And in chapter two, he wrote down what God said back to him.

This is also likely how we got the book of Psalms; which was David’s quiet times. David meditated on the first five books of the Bible, the Torah, and then he wrote down his thoughts, which are called psalms. In many of the psalms, he starts out with what he’s feeling and then ends up with what God says.

I’m finding it's helpful to write out my prayers and requests. Writing them down can be the same as saying them in a prayer and God can hear my thoughts. What I write down can also be read back to God.

Writing down prayers and God’s responses are all part of a spiritual habit called journaling. A journal is not a diary. A diary is about the things you did. A journal is about the lessons I’ve learned or learning and the mistakes I've made and how I've learned from them.

I know from my own life that I’m not good with physical writing. My handwriting is not good and being left handed, I end up smearing the ink or markings with my hand as I write.  I have found that I am much more comfortable typing things out on my computer.  So I use Google docs to record my quiet time thoughts and leanings. Using Google docs allows me to get to them from any computer that has access to the Internet. It also makes it easier to store, search and find them later.

Choosing Whom And What I Will Serve

In review of Joshua 24:15 it says, "But if you refuse to serve the Lord, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.”

Bottom Line:

If you are not going to serve the Lord, then you must choose today whom you will be serving. You can pick worthless things that can’t do anything for you, but as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.

What this means to me:

When someone refuses to serve the Lord, then they have made or will make a choice to serve something or someone else. They can choose to serve something worthless like our ancestors worshiped back in Mesopotamia, or ones from the environment were currently living in. But as for me and my family, we have decided to serve the Lord!

Just before this passage Joshua is reminding the people of all that God has done for them and then challenges them people with who they will serve and where their heart will be. The people need to decide whether they would obey the Lord, who had proven his trustworthiness, or obey the local gods, which were only handmade idols.

It's easy for me to slip into my own quiet rebellion, going on about life in my own way. Each day I must choose who or what I will allow to control me. The choice is mine to make, God won’t force me. So, will I let it be God, my own limited personality, or some other imperfect substitute? It’s important for me to reaffirm this choice every day.

Just like the Joshua confirmed to the Israelites, I can know for sure that God will care for and be present in my life and my endeavors I undertake in name.  I need to decide each day what I will allow to control my life.

Learning That God Will Never Abandon Me

In review of Joshua 1:5 it says, "No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. For I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will not fail you or abandon you."

Bottom Line:

No one will be able to stand against you, for I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will never abandon or fail you.

What this means to me:

If God asks me to do something, no one will be able to stand against me. God promises to be with me, as he was with Moses and promises to never abandon or fail me.

In this passage Joshua is about to get a new job that consisted of leading more than two million people into a strange new land and conquering it. Every new job is a challenge. Without God it can be frightening. However, with God it can be a great adventure as well. Just as God was with Joshua, he is with me as I face any new challenges. I may not conquer nations, but every day I will face tough situations, difficult people, and temptations. God promises, however, that he will never abandon me nor fail to help. By asking God to direct my actions, I can conquer many of life's challenges.

I often worry about being able to do things under my own strength. This verse reminds me that God is there and will help me. He will never leave me out on my own. I must also confess that I have likely missed out on so much God has wanted to offer me by not doing it because of my worry and concern in ability. Going forward I can always count on his claim to be with me.

Today I thank God for his wonderful influence in my life and I pray that he gives me the strength to get beyond myself and move forward with only a confidence he can give me.