Sitting in church on Sunday and the message was "I do not need to be happy. I need to be joyful". The entire sermon was based on the premise that happiness comes from "stuff". It comes from the outside in. But joy. Joy comes from the inside out. We have joy when we fill our lives with the fruit of the spirit.
So many times I become distracted by my "stuff". We're currently thinking of purchasing a new car. I think the baby needs an SUV. I would feel safer in something bigger than my current car. But...and I know this to be self evident...I find some type of value in a nice, new car. It's wrong but it's true. The message at church today is that when you bring things in your life to obtain a sense of value, eventually the tank runs out and you have to fill it up again. It's a vicious cycle of trying to find the next best thing to make you temporarily happy. An Ipad will make me happy until something newer comes along. A new purse will make me happy until it starts to show wear. A new car will make me happy until 3 years from now when I want a new one.
The fruit of the spirit is something that we can possess inside ourselves. We do not need money to purchase it and no amount of labor will bear these things. We can find these things by sitting in prayer with the Lord. We can find these things by partaking in fellowship with other believers. It sounds so simple and yet it is so difficult.
Happiness versus joy. I want to have joy. I want to thank the good Lord for providing me with a cute home to raise a family in. It may not be a castle but these four walls hold a lot of love. I want to thank the Lord for my family, health, friends and husband. We are abundantly blessed! I hope that in my days to come I can weed out all the distractions and start being joyful for all the blessings that have been bestowed upon me!
But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
Galatians 5:22-23
Easy Chocolate Cake
5 years ago
3 comments:
very good reminder of the things that matter most. I needed to read this today so I am so glad you shared.
It's a good reminder for all of us! I was humbled by the sermon.
Great post! I'm just as guilty of "wanting more" too. But you are right ... it won't help in the long run, we'll just want something else.
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