How to Break the “Happiness Curse” and Embrace the Joy of the Lord: Part Three
When you nurture your relationship with God, it’s hard to feel dejected or disappointed because you are lifted by the experience of being in His presence, knowing that God values time with you!
Welcome to the 67th post of The Aim and Soar Life, a weekly newsletter about faith, personal growth, and lifestyle that provides actionable, relatable, and biblically rooted content to help you live abundantly and GROW YOU. GOD’S WAY.
Happy Sunday Fam and Happy Father’s Day!
I hope you had a wonderful day. I salute all the fathers out there and all those who stand in the gap. Thank you!
This is my 3rd and final installment for the series, “How to Break the “Happiness Curse” and Embrace the Joy of the Lord.
I have had so many wonderful people reach out to me about this series. I am so glad that you all were blessed by it.😍
I hope that you are on your way to banishing the “happiness curse” for good.
I don’t like to be a hypocrite, so I really try to live what I write. And boy, has it been a journey for me! Practicing what you preach when life gets tough can be challenging. However, your life challenges make room for God to grow you spiritually. I am growing and I have had growing pains to prove it.😉
Today I want to focus on the last two practical ways to embrace the joy of the Lord:
Find joy in spiritual disciplines.
Serve others and spread joy.
Find Joy in Spiritual Disciplines
Can I just be real for a minute? (I always am, but I wanted to make sure I had your complete attention.)😉
I’ve been writing about embracing the joy of the Lord during one of my most difficult life seasons. Not only have I been experiencing health challenges, but both my parents have been battling serious health challenges as well. On top of that, with work and everything else that has been going on in the world, it had gotten to the point where I felt like I was getting beat up by life!
How could this be when I have Jesus? Well, I tell you how; it’s because I wasn’t centered.
I frequently practice spiritual disciplines. You may find a variety of definitions online about what spiritual disciplines are, but I define them as practices found in Scripture that help you to grow spiritually, like praying, studying the Word, meditating on the Word, and fasting.
I had been praying, studying, and meditating on the Word, but what I also needed was to slow down, be still, and focus. I needed to fast.
I am a member of a biblically sound church, so I am no stranger to fasting on a corporate and individual level.
I have a lot going on in my life. What I had been doing wasn’t working.🙃
I was reminded of the story in Matthew 17:14-21 where Jesus cast a demon out of a boy after the disciples could not. When the disciples asked why they were unable to, Jesus told them it was due to their unbelief and He said, “However, this kind does not come out except by prayer and fasting.”
Boom! That was my answer. So, I fasted for a few days, and what I learned during my fast is that I can be a busybody. I’m two steps ahead of myself at times, trying to power through the day and get things done. Blame it on my only-child syndrome.😂
I hadn’t been taking advantage of the opportunity to really sit and be still with God so that I can enjoy the time, and not hurry through because I had a long to-do list.
I needed to get back to fasting regularly while I pray so that I can focus more or “lock in” as my teen students say.
I needed to get back to journaling my prayers and expecting answers from God. I had been feeling sort of disappointed and had subsequently slacked on journaling every day.
I needed to get back to studying outside of the normal studying I do to prepare to teach Sunday school.
Simply put, I needed to make more time for interaction with God on a deeper level, so that I can hear from Him and be spiritually fed, nursed, and comforted by Him as I go through this season.
There is joy in embracing the relationship you have with God.
When you nurture your relationship with God, it’s hard to feel dejected or disappointed because you are lifted by the experience of being in His presence, knowing that God values time with you!
So, take some time to practice spiritual disciplines; doing so shifts the focus from you to God.
When you nurture your relationship with God, it’s hard to feel dejected or disappointed because you are lifted by the experience of being in His presence, knowing that God values time with you!
Serve Others and Spread Joy
Instead of searching for “happiness,” we should all focus on spreading joy. We should sprinkle the joy of the Lord on everyone we encounter.
There is no better way to embrace the joy of the Lord, than by sharing God with others.
We are the hands and feet of Jesus! It’s up to us to be the light that He called us to be.
Sometimes when you are empty, you can be filled by filling someone else’s cup. You can embrace the joy of the Lord by sharing yourself with others.
Call someone from your church whom you haven’t seen in a while. Reach out and check on the sick and shut-in. You will be surprised at how much your heart fills with love from the joy others gain from your care and concern for them.
Most of all, share the Gospel.
People are hurting and need Jesus.
They may anesthetize their pain with drugs, alcohol, or other negative coping methods, but those only provide temporary relief and cause a downward spiral.
What God has to offer can bring them healing now and for all eternity, so spread the love of God.
Embrace the joy of the Lord by giving of yourself.
28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life—a ransom for many.”
Matthew 20:28, HCSB
Peace and Love
Until Next Time,
GROW YOU. GOD’S WAY.
Sherrhonda😍
P.S.
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