JOYUL LIVING ONE DAY AT A TIME
(The Christian Life from A to Z)
Bob Marcaurelle (meadowbrookbaptist.cc)
“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience…” (Galatians 5)
A. THE DUTY TO HAVE JOY (Philippians 4:4-6; 1:14 )
“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again, rejoice.” / “Because of my chains, most of my brothers in the Lord have been encouraged.”
We all want the same thing. Some get married to find it and some get divorced. Some make money and others give money away. We want to be happy. God also wants it for us. Describing mature Christian character (the fruit of the Spirit), God puts love first; joy second; and peace next. He doesn’t just want it He commands it (Phil.4:4).
He wants it because He loves us. Every good parent wants his child to be happy. He wants it to empower our service. Nehemiah told discouraged workers their joy would be their strength (8:10). 2 Corinthians 9:7 says, “God loves a cheerful giver.”
If we are miserable, ungrateful people we will not feel like getting into our Bibles; spending time in prayer; taking any responsibility in our church; or taking time to help others.
God wants it because of our influence. When Paul was in prison (Acts 28) he wrote Philippians, his most joy filled letter and because of it others were encouraged to do better. (Phil.4:14)
The best argument for Christianity is a good Christian; one who does not whine when life knocks him down. We don’t have to clap our hands and say, “Praise the Lord”, though we may. Our unshakable peace in times of trouble is our best testimony.
A man told a Christian, “You Christians are only dreaming.” “Maybe so” the Christian replied, “but please don’t wake me up because its wonderful.” To have a joyful life:
B. THE DIRECTIONS TO FIND JOY
1. Live Right (Isaiah 48:22)
“The Lord says, there is no peace for the wicked.”
The biggest problem in Christianity today is that we put happiness first and God puts holiness first. What they don’t realize is that happiness is the reward of holiness. To those who seek to be good; to please the Lord; to serve and love others; God gives the blessing of happiness. If we go after it, like the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, we never find it, but if we go after goodness, we do.
2. Face Life One Day at a Time (Deuteronomy 33:25)
“As your days are, so will your strength be.”
Jesus says, “Don’t worry about tomorrow.”(Matthew 6:34) and Paul says, “Forgetting what lies behind me; I reach forward to what lies ahead” (Philippians 3:13). We can take anything today. Failure today does not mean we are failures; it means we have the chance to do better tomorrow. God assigned the rugged hill country to the tribe of Asher and promised them, “As your days are, so will your strength be.”
A different twist on this comes from Thoreau, “The contemplation of suicide has gotten many a person through a difficult night.” Of course, our course is far better than this, but it shows the power of human nature created in God’s image to endure almost anything
3. Choose to Be Joyful Today (Psalm 118:24)
“This is the day the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad and in it.”
We do what we make up our minds to do. Put a smile on your face if you have to starch it. Rise and shine don’t rise and whine. Say, Good Morning, Lord, not, Good Lord! Morning!
A psychiatrist asked a lady, “Do you wake up grouchy every morning?” She said, “No, I let him sleep.” Lincoln said, “Most people are as happy as they make up their minds to be.”
Since joy is commanded, it is a choice. We choose to be thermometers or thermostats. Thermometers register what is around them; thermostats change it. When bad things happen we have a bad day. When good things happen we have a good day. We place our happiness in the hands of others.
A lady told a psychologist, “This kid is driving me crazy.” The doctor said, “Let me get this right. You have given your mental balance to a 3-year-old.”
Joy comes from within; good things can’t produce it and bad things can’t take it away. Paul said in prison “I have learned to be content.” (Philippians 4:12-13) It takes time and effort.
4. Expect Irritations Today (Song of Solomon 2:15)
“Catch the foxes for us, the little foxes that spoil the vine”.
God punished farmer Adam with briars (Genesis 3); what we call “Murphy’s Laws.” Simple things aren’t! Self starters won’t! If you don’t want to meet someone, you will!
It irritated college president George Washington Carver when his young students cut across his beautiful lawns. He would run out and yell at those who did it. Realizing how foolish and frustrating this was, he solved the problem. Everywhere he saw a footpath he put a sidewalk.
5. Do Something Good for Someone Today (Acts 20:35)
“Jesus said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive’.”
The runaway best seller, “The Purpose Driven Life” begins, “It is not about me.” The trouble is, for most of us, it is all about me; and that is why we are so miserable. We need to get out of ourselves and try and make life good for others.
A boy scout came home with a broken arm. His mother asked what happened and he said he tried to help a little old lady across the street. His mother said, “Did you get hit by a car?” “No,” he said, “She didn’t want to go.”
Whether it is a word, a deed, a smile, listening, etc.; do at least one good thing for someone else. Proverbs 17:24 says, “Kind words are like honey – enjoyable and healthful.” Say things like, “Have you lost weight? Can you help me? I appreciate you. Honey, that breakfast was good.” Dwight L. Moody said, I can live a month on one good compliment. They is good for you and for those you give them to.
Most of our misery comes from seeking happiness instead of trying to create it for others. The devil sits us in a little world with three people, “Me, Myself and I.” We dwell on our body, our mind, our peace, our happiness. Truly happy people are those who are so busy living life and doing simple things for others that they don’t think about whether they are happy or not.
6. Decide not to be Afraid Today (Matthew 6:34)
Jesus said, “Do not worry (be all torn up) about tomorrow.” (Matthew 6:34)
Give your situation to God and leave it in his hands. Don't hold on to the kite string.
7. Stay Balanced Today
“A merry heart does us good like a medicine.” (Proverbs 17:22)
When Urban Myer announced he was leaving coaching because of stress related chest pain; long time coach Lou Holtz said a coach needs “other interests”. When life gets out of balance we get in trouble. We need to balance work, rest, play, and worship.
Work was not a curse from the Fall. Adam was told to tend the Garden of Eden from the beginning (Genesis 2:15). Human beings are born to achieve. This does not mean we have to love our job and see it as a calling. We can see a mundane job as the way to provide for our family, and coach little league as a calling. We should not always go for the larger pay check; more time with our family might be better for them and us.
Play and Rest Hard work will not kill you but too much work will. Half of our physical problems come from our emotions and half from our abused bodies. When Elijah was so depressed that he wanted to die God put him to sleep; gave him something to eat; sent him back to work; and gave him an assistant (1 Kings 19).
If you put your nose to the grindstone rough / and leave it down there long enough / Soon, these three will your world compose / You, the stone, and your ground down nose.
8. Worship (Isaiah 26:3)
“You will keep in perfect peace the one whose mind is fixed on Thee because he trusts in Thee.”
Pray Talk to the Lord all day as you would talk to a friend about everything that is going on. Let Him speak by reading a chapter from the New Testament every day and you will read it through every year even if you miss 90 days. Write notes of what comes to you in the margin. This is your perpetual spiritual diary.
Every day say “Our Father” and realize that no matter what is going on in your life, untold millions your brothers and sisters, right now, all over the world know exactly how you feel. Say, “Our Father” and know that you are in His heart and on His mind. He will not shelter you from harm but He will go with you. Say,
“Lord, I thank you that nothing I face today will be too much for you and I together to handle.”
Pray “Forgive me of my sins”. Give God the sins of yesterday; claim forgiveness and the power be better tomorrow. Every day is the first day of the rest of your life. (1 John 1:7-10; Psalm 51)
A lady, in and out of hospitals, told me she broke her health because she violated her marriage vows one time, 20 years ago. I told her to ask God to forgive her and she said she had done that a thousand times. I said, “Maam, that is 999 times too many.”
