Give Sacrificaly and Receive Extra Joy!

           Have you had your Joy Juice today?  When you give it away, JOY bounces right back!

            Do you have a giving spirit? Most of us don’t mind sharing… until it begins to be a sacrifice. When I hear the word “sacrifice” I often think of the brave military men and women who serve our country.  They are expected to give up time with their precious families and the comforts of home; they often have to put their lives on the line to defend and protect us.  That’s sacrificial giving. 

            In Romans 8:32 we are reminded of the supreme sacrifice: “He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?”

            More than two thousand years ago, Jesus died on the cross…gave his very life…for you and me.  That was God’s plan from the beginning.  And He continues to “graciously give us all things”.  He knows our needs and has a plan to take care of us.  The problem comes when we don’t trust Him completely, so we take matters into our own hands.

            When we trust Christ for salvation, we must remember that NOTHING can separate us from His love.  And with that love comes protection, provision and wisdom…plus so much more! Oh! And JOY, of course!

          Make Jesus your role model and give sacrificially.  When we’re giving to others, we’ll have extra joy to share! 

A Good Measure of Joy

            Have you had your Joy Juice today?  Share some with others~ It’s a great way to give!

            When you hear the word “give”, what kind of emotion does it bring to your thoughts?  Do you feel joyful over the prospect of being able to give to others?  It probably depends on WHO you’d be giving to, right?

            We love to give to our children, grandchildren and special friends. It’s a pleasure to be able to express how we care by giving them something that makes them happy.  But what about when we feel “obligated” to give and we find ourselves giving grudgingly rather than cheerfully.

            In Luke 6:38 we read, “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."

            Do you know what Jesus was referring to in this passage?  In the previous verses He had been urging His followers not to judge or condemn others, but rather to forgive. For example:  “People who have gracious and compassionate spirits, refusing to judge and condemn, will find gracious attitudes and compassion returned toward them.  People who forgive easily will find that they are forgiven their own offenses more easily.  The measure with which we give determines the measure with which we receive.” (The Bible for Hope, pp 1326)

            Do you desire forgiveness?  Then---be willing to forgive!  That’s one sure way of receiving a great big portion of the joy in the Lord!

            Let’s give generously…and be ready for a good measure of JOY!

Choose God! Resist Tempation! Receive Abundant Joy!

            Have you had your Joy Juice today?  At times we need to distance ourselves from certain situations and drink extra portions of joy.

            When Jesus was in the wilderness being tempted by Satan, He commanded the enemy, in Matthew 4:10: “Away with you!” In today’s terminology: “GET OUTTA HERE!”  In other words, He separated Himself….distanced Himself from the one who was tempting Him.  We can follow His example and do the same thing when we find ourselves in a compromising situation….one which is tempting us to make a sinful choice.

            Charles Stanley gives wise advice on this subject: “Sometimes you may not have either the time or the opportunity to respond to your tempter with the Word of God (as Jesus did). This is especially true if a temptation comes to you through a human being.  Suddenly you may find yourself in a situation that you know is evil or is headed for sin.  In those cases, you need to be the one who walks (or runs) away.” 

            Just as Jesus was 100% committed and resolved in His heart & mind that He would choose to do things God’s way—we should be! Let’s settle in our hearts and minds that we will walk in the steps of Jesus and commit to trusting in His best plan.

           Choose God; Resist temptation; & receive His abundant joy.