One Simple Way to Increase Your Joy

I love God’s Word because it is truly our instruction manual for life! In fact, God wants to give us the answers to every problem we face, including how to make a bad day better...and increase our joy every single day.

First of all, you’ve probably noticed that if you’re having a bad day, one of the worst things you can do is to keep thinking about yourself and all of your own problems. It only makes things worse!

So, what should you do? Get your mind off yourself, walk in love, and help someone else.

Helping others isn’t something you will normally feel like doing—it requires a decision. But making a choice to be good to others has the power to help you and them. It’s a spiritual principle...

The apostle Paul says in Acts 20:35: “In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive’” (NIV).  

So, if I’m having a bad day, this scripture tells me I can be happier by simply getting myself off my mind and helping someone else. In fact, it’s amazing how just a few words of encouragement can change someone’s entire day. Sometimes it can even change their life.

It can be as simple as picking up the phone and calling a friend who’s been going through a rough time, letting them know you’re thinking about them and praying for their situation. Or maybe you can send someone a text message to let them know how valuable they are and how much you care.

I’m not what I would call a natural encourager, but I made a commitment to God years ago to start encouraging people on purpose. Now I ask the Lord every day, “Who can I encourage today? How can I build someone up?” It’s amazing how much better life can be when you give someone an encouraging word every day.

 The Shortest Speech

I recently read a tremendous story on this topic about William Booth, the founder of The Salvation Army. It was Christmas Eve, 1910, and due to sickness, he wasn’t going to be able to attend the organization’s annual convention. He had become disabled, and his eyesight was failing.

Normally, Booth would speak to the workers and share an encouraging message with these men and women who had spent long hours in service during the Christmas season. However, this year, knowing he couldn’t attend, he decided to send a message by telegram that could be read to all those in attendance. 

But what would he say? Booth searched his mind and reviewed his years of ministry, looking for a message that would summarize his life and the mission of The Salvation Army. He wanted to compose a speech that would encourage these men and women.

That night, when the thousands of delegates met, the moderator shared the news that William Booth would not be present due to his failing health. Naturally they were disappointed. However, he conveyed that Booth had sent something to be read to all in attendance.

The moderator opened the telegram, then read William Booth’s one-word message: “Others.”

This story really speaks to me! It’s so easy to always focus on ourselves—what we want and what we think. But we often have it backward. God is saying when we make others our priority, then everything else will fall into place...and we will end up incredibly happy.

Here’s another way to say it: Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well (Matthew 6:33 NIV).

In fact, if you have a need in your own life, helping others is one of the most powerful things you can do! When you place your trust and hope in the Lord, then commit yourself to helping other people and taking care of their problems, you open the door for God to do incredible things in your own life.

Practical Ways to Love on Purpose

Once I became determined to make loving others the theme of my life, I hungered for a variety of ways to show love. We can certainly love people with our words—we can encourage others and express how valuable we think they are. We can also use our resources like our time, energy, possessions and finances.

You may be convinced you don’t have anything to give. However, there are literally thousands of ways you can give and spread love!

I’ve been pretty aggressive on my own journey to find creative ways to incorporate this theme of loving people into my everyday life. Here are just a few practical ways we can love on purpose:

• When it’s obvious that someone else wants the same parking space you want, let them have it and do it with a smile.

• Mow an elderly neighbor’s lawn or offer to do their grocery shopping.

• Give someone without transportation a ride to church or another event, even if it’s out of your way.

• Truly listen to someone without interrupting.

• Babysit the children of a young couple who may need a night out.

• Hold a door open for a stranger and let them go ahead of you.

• Text someone with a message of encouragement, even if it’s simply, “Just thinking of you—have a great day!”

 Would you like to make every day better? Would you like to find joy even in the midst of difficult times? Then begin taking even just a few minutes every day to think about what you can do to help someone else. Because when you give your life away, you’ll find that it comes back to you in the most marvelous ways.