Are You Joy-Deprived?
"I came so that everyone would have life...in its fullest." John 10:10 CEV
Your lungs need oxygen to thrive, your body needs food to thrive, and your soul needs joy to thrive. How can you tell when someone is joy-deprived? By how they look and what they say. One Bible teacher says: "When I began to understand John 10:10...I realized the enemy had deceived me into thinking that enjoying things was not important...I had come to believe--falsely, of course--that if I was having fun, something was wrong...I must not be working hard enough! I never saw my father enjoy life and it seemed to aggravate him when others did, so I just grew up thinking something must be wrong with it. I can remember being told to be quiet when I laughed out loud...The seventeenth-century...[writer] Madame Guyon said that the highest call for every child of God is to enjoy God. I remember what a heavy load lifted off of me the first time I read that...I was working so hard trying to please God that the thought of simply enjoying Him had not occurred to me at all. I had never heard of such a thing!...I had been a committed church member for over twenty years before I learned that God wanted me to enjoy Him and the life He had given me." Can you relate? If so, it's time to make some changes in your life. Take a break without feeling guilty; you will be much more productive when you're rested and refreshed. Recreation is not "unspiritual"; it's essential to staying in balance. We live in a driven, stressed-out society, but you can change; you can be joyful if you choose to.
This message taken from: Daily Devotional - The Word For You Today
Your lungs need oxygen to thrive, your body needs food to thrive, and your soul needs joy to thrive. How can you tell when someone is joy-deprived? By how they look and what they say. One Bible teacher says: "When I began to understand John 10:10...I realized the enemy had deceived me into thinking that enjoying things was not important...I had come to believe--falsely, of course--that if I was having fun, something was wrong...I must not be working hard enough! I never saw my father enjoy life and it seemed to aggravate him when others did, so I just grew up thinking something must be wrong with it. I can remember being told to be quiet when I laughed out loud...The seventeenth-century...[writer] Madame Guyon said that the highest call for every child of God is to enjoy God. I remember what a heavy load lifted off of me the first time I read that...I was working so hard trying to please God that the thought of simply enjoying Him had not occurred to me at all. I had never heard of such a thing!...I had been a committed church member for over twenty years before I learned that God wanted me to enjoy Him and the life He had given me." Can you relate? If so, it's time to make some changes in your life. Take a break without feeling guilty; you will be much more productive when you're rested and refreshed. Recreation is not "unspiritual"; it's essential to staying in balance. We live in a driven, stressed-out society, but you can change; you can be joyful if you choose to.
This message taken from: Daily Devotional - The Word For You Today
Recent
Archive
2025
January
"Forgiving each other ...as...God forgave you."EMBRACING UNCERTAINITY AND FOLLOWING GODBLESSING IS PROGRESSIVEIS GOD SHAKING YOU UP?PROBLEMS? DRAW CLOSER TO GODDON'T AVOID--ENGAGEYOU ARE COMMANDED TO LOVEJUST SOW THE SEEDSEE YOURSELF AS VALUABLE (1)SEE YOURSELF AS VALUABLE (2)PRAY ABOUT IT, THEN TAKE ACTIONTHE IMPORTANCE OF GOD'S WORDTHE LINK BETWEEN DISOBEDIENCE AND STRESSHAVE YOU TALKED TO GOD ABOUT IT?KNOW YOUR PURPOSE, KNOW YOUR PARTNERSHOW TO GET WHAT YOU WANTPARENTING, THE BIBLE WAYHOW TO BUILD YOUR SELF-ESTEEMSIGNS FOLLOW FAITHWORSHIP: GIVING YOURSELF TO GODCHANGE YOUR THOUGHTS, AND CHANGE YOUR LIFEFind Prayer PartnersHOW GOD SEES YOUBE GUIDED BY WISDOM, NOT IMPULSEHOW TO GIVEPAUSE AND REFLECTWHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES US ABOUT MONEY (1)WHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES ABOUT MONEY (2)WHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES US ABOUT MONEY (3))WHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES US ABOUT MONEY (4)WHAT THE LORD TEACHES US ABOUT MONEY (5)SEEKING GOD
February
Practice Saying No To YourselfThe Best Is Yet To ComeThe Grandfather's Mistake Became The Grandson's MiracleHow To Conquer The Fear Of FailingLet's Respect Our DifferencesPass It On To OthersThrow It DownYou Are Called To Be Salt And LightExpect To "Wrestle"Use Your Gifts In Ministry To OthersKeep Trusting GodFear Is The Enemy Of GrowthChange Your RoutineYou Are Not Beyond God's ReachDon't Look At Christians, Look At ChristHave A God PerspectiveGod Uses Damaged PeopleUnderstanding The Word "Imputed"Governed By Christ's Love For UsToday Expect God's FavorGrowth Is About EnlargementKeep Praying And BelievingRefuse To Wear The LabelShake It Off, And Move ForwardWhen Others "Don't Get It"Righteousness Is A Gift, Not A Reward
March
Don't Break, Bounce Back (1)How Long Will You Live?Don't Break, Bounce Back (2)Put Away The Measuring StickKnow When To Let GoUse Your ImaginationConnect, Commit, CommunicateHow God Sees YouRearing Spiritual FruitConsult God On Your Daily To Do ListBorn To Believe (1)Born To Believe (2)Only Jesus Can Satisfy Your Soul"Forgive Them" And Delete ItPut God Between Yourself and the FoeBe True To The ScripturesThe Kids Are Watchcng You (1)The Kids Are Watching You (2)If You're A Leader, Read ThisPrayer and Your RASLearn To Say NoYou Can Learn To LoveAlways Agree With God’s WordGive God All The GloryDon’t Let A Wall Build Up Between YouTo Be Used By GodTell Them While You Still CanYou’re Almost ThereA Ministry Of Tears“Much More” Or “Much Less” (1)
Categories
no categories