Philippians 4:4-8
Holy Spirit, I pray that this day you will fill me with yourself and cause your fruit to ripen in my life: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
Fill us with the fruit of His presence.
God wants His people to live joy-filled lives.
Joy is a promise we can all claim, and an expectation we can all have.
I would say that the joy that is promised to each believer goes a little deeper than mere happiness.
Christian joy is a good feeling in the soul, produced by the Holy Spirit, as he causes us to see the beauty of Christ in the word and in the world.
You can't manufacture joy on your own.
1. Eliminate the Joy-Breakers.
The first joy-breaker to watch out for is the habit of complaining.
Do everything without complaining or arguing. (Philippians 2:2)
A second joy-breaker to watch out for is bitterness.
"You're letting those people live rent-free in your head."
If there is something from the past that needs to be resolved and can be resolved, resolve it.
Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. (Ephesians 4:31-32)
If you let them, the daily stresses of life will rob you of your joy, but it's just not worth it.
Be joyful always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances... (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! (Philippians 4:4)
2. Focus on the Joy Builders.
"Causes us to see the beauty of Christ in the word and in the world."
I'm not just talking about spending time passively.
The Bible said that David's music would make Saul feel better.
Being in the presence of God is a joy building moment.
3. Strive to be a Joy - Supplier.
We've all known someone who has the capacity to drain the joy out of any room they enter.
Let's do our best, instead, to bring joy wherever we go.
Make my joy complete by being like-minded... (Philippians 2:14)
Try to make at least one person's day, every day.
He who refreshes others will himself be refreshed. (Proverbs 11:25)
Jesus.
Others.
You.
But the rest of the universe revolves around me.
We must be willing to take our eyes off of ourselves and all of our problems.
Loving Jesus comes first.
Serving others comes second.
You are third.
In Christ alone.