- 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 joy because you are walking with Jesus.
How to NOT have a joyful life?
1) Allowing worry and fear to steal it away.
- If a man�s steps are directed by the Lord, how then can anyone understand his own way? (Proverbs 20:24).
- 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).
- Do not worry about tomorrow for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own (Matthew 6:34).
- Do not be afraid for God is your shield (Genesis 15:1).
- Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil because God is with me (Psalm 23:4).
- 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).
- 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).
- 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.
- 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)
- What negatives have you been able to leave behind because of Christ:
� Self-pity: I used to cry, �poor me!�
� Judgmental, pessimistic, and/or cynical attitude
� Unreasonable and unacceptable outbursts of anger
� Anxiety, stress, and/or fear
� Other: _________________________
2) Set your heart and mind on eternal issues: Recognize your ultimate joy comes from knowing you are a child of the King (God) and you are assured eternal life without pain, suffering, and despair.
- Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me (Psalm 51:12).
- I trust in God�s unfailing love; my heart rejoices in His salvation. (Psalm 13:5)
- To live is Christ and to die is gain (Philippians 1:21).
- Rejoice and be glad because great is your reward in Heaven (Matthew 5:12).
- How has setting your heart and mind on eternal issues helped you get through the day?
� I focus on my purpose in life
� I rely on Christ to fill my voids
� I concentrate on permanent happiness as opposed to instant gratification
� I allow God to steer me in the right direction
� Other: ______________________
3) Do not depend on circumstances that fluctuate from day to day.
- 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 3:13-14).
- What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? (Matthew 16:26).
- 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).
- What temporary thing have you depended on?
� Money
� Boyfriend/ girlfriend
� Looks, appearance, vanity
� Material possessions
� Other: ________________________
4) Allow God to intercede in your life.
- 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 with groans that words cannot express (Romans 8:26).
- Jesus is able to save completely those who come to God through Him because He always lives to intercede for them (Hebrews 7:25).
- How have you felt the intercession of the Holy Spirit? ________________________