Everyday Joy

Years ago, I found myself in an interesting place. I was a Christian who was living for God and I even had my own ministry, but I wasn’t really enjoying my life.

As I sought God about it, He began showing me that joy is a major part of His plan for us. He doesn’t just want us to be happy “when”—when Friday gets here...when it’s time for a vacation...when people do what we want. God wants us to live with His joy—it’s part of His will for our daily lives!

In John 10:10, Jesus says, The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows] (AMP).

Jesus did not die on the cross for us to be miserable—He died so we can be delivered from every kind of sadness, oppression and misery. He wants us to have joy.

What is joy? Joy is defined in part as “great pleasure or happiness,” “a source or object of pleasure or satisfaction,” and “to derive pleasure from or relish.” Joy can cover a range of emotions and including everything from “a calm delight” to “extreme hilarity.”

Now, times of extreme hilarity are really fun, and we all need them. It’s healthy to have moments when we laugh so hard that our sides hurt. God has given us an ability to laugh, so there must be a reason!

However, I think to live in a state of “calm delight” may even be greater. God desires for us to live with His peace and joy at all times. He wants us to enjoy ourselves while we work, while we feed the kids, while we do the dishes, and even while we brush our teeth in the morning. Joy is a gift from God to His children!

The World Can’t Give It to You

As I mentioned, we can search for happiness in a lot of places. We can look to things like relationships, money, vacations, houses, clothes, and even open doors of opportunity. Yet, while these things can bring a degree of excitement for a period of time, happiness is based on what is happening “in the moment.” However, only one thing can give us true joy and satisfaction—God.

I love Psalm 16:11. It says, You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy, at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore (AMP).

The Lord desires for us to live with His joy—to be permanently, consistently satisfied. This all comes from spending quality time with Him—reading and studying His Word, talking to Him in prayer, or simply sitting quietly in His presence. The truth is everything we need to live a joyful life is waiting for us in His presence. The choice is up to us!

Isaiah 40:29-31 has been one of the most important scriptures of my life. It says, He gives power to the faint and weary, and to him who has no might, He increases strength…Those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] shall change and renew their strength and power…they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint or become tired (AMPC).

Waiting on God is the key to overcoming the weariness of life and getting our joy back. When we spend time with Him, He “increases strength.” He re-energizes our minds and spirits. He gives us a supernatural rest and ability. He fills our lives with His supernatural joy.

I can remember years ago, when I was first establishing what I call the “God habit”—the habit of regularly spending time with God. The Lord impressed upon me how important it is to get some time away with Him. He told me to treat my appointment with Him like I would treat an appointment with a doctor or some other professional...not to view it as “optional,” but see it as a vital necessity.

Now, you have to remember, when I first began seriously seeking God, my life was a mess. I was one of the most negative, pessimistic, critical people I knew, and I certainly had no idea what it meant to enjoy my life. However, little by little, as I continued to spend time “waiting on God,” the Lord began to change me from the inside out.

You see, when we spend time with God, He can change us and do more in our lives in a few weeks or months than we could make happen in a lifetime! No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t change my behavior on my own. But as I spent time with God, He slowly transformed my thoughts, words, actions and attitudes. He helped pull up the roots of bitterness and, over time, healed my wounded emotions from the pain I experienced in the past.

It’s great to enjoy other people, events and experiences in life, but when we leave God out of the equation, it will eventually leave us dissatisfied. I challenge you to begin looking to God as your Source for joy and happiness. Make a decision to establish the God habit in your own life, even if it means beginning with just 10 minutes a day.

I can promise you one thing for sure: As you develop your relationship with God—as you seek Him for true peace, fulfillment and satisfaction—He will fill your life with joy…and no one can ever take that away.