AIM FOR JOY-FILLED LIVING
How have you temporarily satisfied yourself in the past?
-
Drugs and/ or alcohol
-
Sex
-
Violence
-
Shopping
-
Other: ___________________________
The word joy appears 218
times in the Bible. It goes hand in hand
with faith. Satisfaction, however, is
more dependent on your circumstances.
With satisfaction, there is no enduring significance to any event or
material possession. Joy, by contrast,
is not dependent on circumstances. No
matter what comes your way, you can have a joyful life if you are walking with
Jesus.
How to NOT have a joyful life?
1) Allowing worry and fear to steal it away
a. “If a man’s steps are directed by the Lord, how then can
anyone understand his own way?” (Proverbs
20:24).
b. “Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink;
or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than
food and the body more important than clothes?” (Matthew 6:25).
c. “Do not worry about tomorrow for
tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matthew
d. “Do not be afraid, for God is your shield” (Genesis 15:1).
e. “Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I
will fear no evil because God is with me”
(Psalm 23:4).
f.
“Be strong and do not
fear; God will come. He will come with vengeance and with divine
retribution. He will come to save you”
(Isaiah 35:4).
g. “In righteousness you will be established. Tyranny
will be far from you; you will have nothing to fear. Terror will be far
removed; it will not come near you as long as you have God as your protection” (Isaiah 54:14).
Ø
How have you allowed
worry and fear to steal away your joy
__________________________________________________?
How to HAVE a joyful life?
1) Focus on the possibilities of tomorrow rather than the
defeats of today
a.
“Let us fix our
eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set
before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right
hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews
12:2).
Ø
What negatives have
you been able to leave behind because of Christ?
· Judgmental, pessimistic, and/or cynical attitude
· Unreasonable/ unacceptable outbursts of anger
· Anxiety, stress, and/or fear
· Other: _________________
2) Set your heart and mind on eternal issues
a. “Restore to me the joy of Your
salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me” (Psalm 51:12).
b. “I trust in God’s unfailing love; my heart rejoices in His
salvation” (Psalm 13:5).
c. “To live is Christ and to die is gain” (Philippians
d. “Rejoice and be glad because great is your reward in Heaven” (Matthew
Ø
How has setting your
heart and mind on eternal issues helped you get through the day?
· I focus on my purpose in
life
· I look to Christ to fill
my voids
· I do not rely on instant
gratification
· Other: _______________________
3) Do not depend on circumstances that fluctuate from day to
day
a. “One thing I do, forget what is behind and strain towards
what is ahead. To press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God
has called me Heavenward in Christ Jesus”
(Philippians
b. “What good will it be for a man if
he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?” (Matthew 16:26).
c. “Consider it pure joy whenever you face trials of many
kinds because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance” (James 1:2).
Ø
What temporary thing
have you depended on?
· Boyfriend/ girlfriend
· Looks, appearance,
beauty, vanity
· Material possessions/
money
· Other: _________________________
4) Let God manage your life
a. “The Spirit of God helps us in our weakness. When we
do not know what we ought to pray for, the Spirit Himself intercedes for us…” (Romans 8:26).
b. “Jesus
is able to save completely those who come to God through Him because He always
lives to intercede for them” (Hebrews
Ø
Is God the manager of your life __________? Why/why not
______________________________________________?