Make JOY a Priority Today

Yesterday we celebrated Easter.  The death and resurrection of Jesus.  Jesus died so we could live. Paul, Jesus’s disciple, tells us that he endured the cross for the JOY set before him (Hebrews 12:2).  Jesus knew that God was JOY and heaven was JOY. Jesus taught us to pray, God let your will be done on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10).  In other words, God let your JOY that is felt in heaven be felt on earth. God created the world out of JOY and he created you out of JOY. He wants you to enJOY life to the fullest as if you were living in heaven.   Doesn’t heaven on earth sound amazing?!?!?  It does to me! I believe that it is possible for you to feel JOY on earth like heaven in your current life and in your current circumstances without changing a single thing.  Webster’s definition of JOY is the passion or emotion excited by the acquisition or expectation of good; pleasurable feelings or emotions caused by success, good fortune, and the like, or by a rational prospect of possessing what we love or desire.  JOY is the possibility or belief that we can have what we love or desire. Jesus died so you can have the hope that you can have everything that you love and desire if you simply choose to acknowledge and seek him in your life.  If you simply choose to learn about Jesus and what he came into the world to teach, he can transform your life. In all your searching for happiness and change you are missing the most important piece of the puzzle. Jesus 

I don’t care who you are, you are seeking something in an effort to find more happiness, more success or more fulfillment.  Maybe it’s a spouse, maybe it’s a degree, maybe it’s a better job, maybe it’s a better body, maybe it’s a better friend, maybe it’s a better car, maybe it’s a better house, maybe it’s retirement, maybe it’s more money, maybe it’s none of these.  I don’t know what you are seeking but I do know that it is likely that once you get what you want you will not be satisfied and you will want more or something newer. You spend your whole life seeking fulfillment and pleasure in temporary pleasures and you are completely neglecting the long term JOY found in God and in Jesus.  You completely ignore your spirituality and spiritual health and you seek your pleasures in meaningless things. I know because I’ve done it. I have lived the majority of my life this way and I was miserable and unhappy. It wasn’t until I understood Jesus and what he came to do that I finally stopped seeking my happiness in my circumstances and started seeking my JOY in Jesus and making my spiritual health a priority.  So I am saying to you that if you are tired and overwhelmed with life and the hamster wheel of seeking and searching, you need to start investing in Jesus and your spiritual health now. You can experience JOY in Jesus and JOY in your home and JOY in your work and JOY in your family. It is really truly possible. It is not rocket science. It is easy. All you have to do is stop focusing on how it seems impossible and start understanding who made it possible.  

I am passionate that if you learn about Jesus he will transform your life just like he has mine.  My desire to teach you about Jesus is so that you can understand that you can have JOY today just as you are! You need Jesus. Your family needs Jesus. The world Jesus.  We need heaven to come on earth because people in the world are suffering. We need Jesus to show us how to make it better. You can help the world by starting to learn about the man named Jesus. He was real. He lived in the world.  He endured pain, he endured hardships, he endured bad friends, and endured loss just like you and me. He was kind and he was compassionate and loving. He was a leader and a teacher. When you begin to read to discover for who he is you will be amazed and wonder how he managed to keep it all together. He is amazing. He is who I am striving to be and who I desperately want you to know. 

God is JOY and God is good.  He is nothing to fear. God is all about love and relationships.  He loved us so much he sent Jesus to earth to teach us about his love.  If we want real change in the world, we have to stop being afraid of God, Jesus and our spirit and start acknowledging them first.  Our souls were formed before anything else. We need to start taking care of our hearts and our souls.  

You can start learning about Jesus today in the Bible.  You can buy one or you can download the YouVersion Bible App on your phone for free.  The life of Jesus is documented by his disciples in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. You do not need to go to church.  You can discover Jesus in the privacy and comforts of your own home. You can do it alone. I recommend reading it out loud.  It helps me with focus, understanding and retention. Read it to learn and understand about how Jesus interacted and talked to people.  Pay attention and listen to his qualities and his character. If you discover any that you like, say kindness for example, make an effort to apply kindness to your day.  I suggest reading first thing in the morning so you have all day to practice with your family and friends but do it when time allows. What’s best is what works for you and what is more important is consistently.  Keep it short and sweet, start with 5-10 minutes. There is no right or wrong way. Just do it every day even if you only have a minute. I believe with my whole heart that this is the best investment you will make for yourself and your family. It is such a beautiful gift that is made to be enJOYed!!

Make JOY a priority today! 

All for Jesus, 

Wynter