A Treasure of Joy

                Have you had your Joy Juice today?  Generously share some with others!

                We’ve talked a lot about choices this week….choosing to practice joy in the midst of trying circumstances, choosing to allow God to cleanse our heart, choosing an attitude like Jesus, choosing to make each day count for Him.

                Today let’s talk about choosing to be generous…and I’m not just talking about financially!  True generosity isn’t a function of income—it begins with the heart.  It’s about serving others and looking for ways to add value to them.  That’s the way to achieve significance in your life. (John Maxwell in  Making Today Count) Being generous with what God has blessed us with….leads to abundant joy!

            Matthew 6:21 tells us: “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”  Where is your treasure?  Is it in your bank account, your material possessions, or is it in your relationship with God?  He tells us that we are to love Him with our whole heart and that we are to love OTHERS as ourselves! That means helping them, giving to them when they need help. 

           Andrew Carnegie was one of the wealthiest men in history. He earned most of his fortune in the steel industry but he didn’t keep his money for himself. Carnegie gave away most of it to establish many libraries, schools, and universities.  He is quoted to have said: “No man becomes rich unless he enriches others.” Remember that a selfish life is not a joyful life! 

                Choose to be generous and share the love of Christ and the joy of the Lord with others!

The Joy-filled Attitude of Jesus

                Have you had your Joy Juice today?  Hope it was top of your agenda this morning!

                It’s very important for us to take responsibility for our attitudes!  John Maxwell reminds us that “If we want today to be a good day, we need to take charge of the way we look at it.”

                Think for a moment about the people in your life that have really made a difference for you.   When we display a good attitude, we are showing that we value the people God has put in our lives. “You can’t dislike people and have a good attitude at the same time.  Have you ever met anyone who always treated people badly but had a positive attitude?  Likewise, you cannot have a bad attitude and encourage others at the same time.  Encouraging others means helping people, looking for the best in them, and trying to bring out their positive qualities.  That process drives negative thoughts right out of your head!” (Make Today Count)

                Philippians 2:5 teaches: “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.”   Would you say that you pass that test?  Does your attitude replicate the attitude of Jesus….one of humility and love serving others?   

                Though none of us will ever measure up to Jesus, we can pray that He will help us to become more and more like Him every day.  Let’s CHOOSE to treat everyone with the same kind and joyful attitude that Jesus modeled before us. 

                May we drink in the joy of Jesus and pray daily that our attitude will become more & more like His!

This is the Day....for JOY!

                Have you had your Joy Juice today?  It’s your choice!  Will you drink it or do you choose NOT to?

                So often we like to blame others for our bad choices.  As a school teacher, I often heard the words: “It’s not my fault. He MADE me do it!” It’s not just children that make excuses.  Sometimes we hear ourselves saying:   “I really didn’t have a choice.” We can play the blame game or the excuse game all we want to, but the reality is that we are responsible for our own choices.

                One important choice that we make daily is the kind of attitude we display. Ever been around someone who has made the choice to enjoy their misery instead of looking past it? How much fun are they? If we want today to be a JOYful one, then we should take charge of the way we approach it and focus on the promises of God.  Sure, there are some things we have no control over.  But we can do something about many things….one of which is our attitude!

                John Maxwell…in his book Make Today Count tells us that we should think, act, talk and conduct ourselves like the person we want to become…hopefully, a shining example of God’s love!  When God places a goal or vision in your heart, approach the day with a joyful, positive attitude and BELIEVE that with God’s help, you can accomplish that goal! 

                Maxwell reminds us that our interaction with others sets the tone of our day.  He calls it the “music of your life”.  Stop just a minute and listen to the song you’re singing.  It is a song of JOY?

                Be reminded of the catchy tune in Psalm 118:24:  “This is the day the Lord has made.  Let us rejoice and be glad in it!”