I'm not waiting on WHEN!

I believe God wants you to ENJOY life not just ENDURE it.  In John 10:10 (AMP), it says, "The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows)."

This verse tells me that God doesn't just want us to be ALIVE, but He wants us to ENJOY being alive!  He wants me to live with JOY - ABUNDANT, OVERFLOWING JOY!

I've met too many people that seemingly aren't happy.  They have a scowl on their face all the time, rug burn on their chin and they're always tripping over their lower lip. 

My passion as a pastor and teacher of God's Word is to help people learn how to live the life Jesus died to give us!  I've also learned in my own experience that if you don't have JOY, then no matter what you HAVE or what you DO or how great your circumstances may be...it doesn't mean much.

Where do you get the JOY from?

Jesus said in John 15 that if we will ABIDE in Him, we will experience God's will for our lives, and everything Jesus has will be OURS!

ABIDING means MAKING Jesus the most important person in our life, LIVING and REMAINING in Him, and making everything in life REVOLVE around Him.  That's when we bear the FRUIT of a godly life.  And that's when God's TRUE JOY is explosive in our life!

Focusing on Jesus has BENEFITS!  For one, when I'm focused on Him, I'm not focused on my problems, politics or people.  PEACE comes easy and JOY is FULL!  

I'm not waiting on WHEN!

I know so many people who think that they will really be happy and enjoy life WHEN...when they go on vacation, when their kids are older, when they get that promotion, when they get married, and on and on.

I understand this thinking, because I spent some of my life thinking the very same thing. There was a season that I even thought about that in ministry.  I wasn't enjoying my responsibilities and the activities I was leading.  I HAD TO LEARN to live in the moment and enjoy what God was doing in me and through me NOW...not WHEN I was able to take a breather and go on vacation.

Someone needs to hear this right NOW...not WHEN! 

As a Christian, you have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in your life.  He is the HELPER who gives us supernatural strength and anointing to live this ordinary, day-to-day life with the JOY of the Lord!

I'm learning more EVERYDAY that the JOY OF THE LORD is my STRENGTH! (Nehemiah 8:10)

What is JOY?

It's not about always having to be ENTERTAINED.
It's not about always GETTING YOUR WAY.
It's not about LAUGHING all the time.

Joy can be intense LAUGHTER and even a settled CALMNESS!

The Bible says in Proverbs 17:22 that "a happy heart is good medicine and a cheerful mind works healing..."  Interesting enough, studies even show that laughter has good BENEFITS!

• Laughter release ENDORPHINS. (A chemical in your body that relieves pains and creates a sense of well being.)
  
• It can boost your ENERGY level.  Which can relieve tension and improve your attitude.

It's no wonder the devil wants to STEAL our JOY and get us discouraged, depressed and distressed!  His job is to steal, kill and destroy.  But we don't have to give in to him and lose our JOY!

Lighten up!

Joy is a CHOICE!  Choose today to start enjoying life, no matter what!  Don't be so serious about everything!  Laugh at yourself!  Refuse to be frustrated!  Remember that God loves you!  He knows everything about you and loves you anyway!  That ought to make you smile right there!

I Want To Be Around Happy People

"Oh be careful little mouth what you say...oh be careful little mouth what you say.  For the Father up above is looking down in love so be careful little mouth what you say."


I learned this song in children's church, as a child. 


Not long ago, I attended a gathering and ended up talking to a leader who ended up complaining about all the incompetent people in his life.  He grumbled about everyone.  No one, it seems, measured up to his standards.  I attempted to change the subject, but he persisted. 


To be honest, it made me feel uncomfortable.  After getting an earful I finally had enough and excused myself.  :-)  Although I felt a little rude I didn't want to drown in his sea of negativity.


Complaining is DESTRUCTIVE.  Complaining about others is DOUBLE DESTRUCTIVE.  The person I was talking with didn't make me think less of the people he was grumbling about but it did make me think less of him.


Complaining about people has the potential of hurting you...

1. You see more of what your notice.  I remember when I bought my truck.  I never really noticed other people's trucks.  But suddenly, they seemed to be everywhere.  If you focus on people's faults, you will find even more of them.
2. You are a bear to be around.  My friend was not very happy.  He had a hitch in his get-along and a bur in his saddle. He was sarcastic and seemed entitled and discontent.  I felt like I needed to fast and pray for 30 days to get his spirit off of me. :-)
3. You repel instead of compel.  Healthy people will avoid you if you're constantly complaining.  As a result, you miss lots of opportunities to connect with people.
4. You cause a lack of trust.  When you listen to others complain about other people it will make you wonder, "what do they say about me when I am not around."  Thus, complaining incites a lack of trust. 

On the other side of the coin...there are POSITIVE people.  These people are the BEST!  They are encourager's and speak faith.  When you're around them you'll hear them ooze with encouragement and gratitude.

When you find these people...you don't want to leave their presence.  It's like gasoline in your engine.

The difference between the two people I've mentioned is their mindset and approach to life.  The good news is that even though we may have picked up negative ways we don't have to stay that way. 

1. Check yourself.  Are you a negative person? If you don't know...ask your spouse or a close friend, they'll let you know. :-)  We use mouthwash to keep our breath from being offensive - check your negativity level to see if you're putting off an offensive odor.
2. Why are you really complaining? Perhaps you feel you're getting the attention you crave when you complain.  Maybe its the need to be recognized?  Are there better, more healthy ways to meet those needs?
3. Commit to change. Just like most things...complaining can become a habit.  The first thing we have to do is OWN our behavior and a make a decision to change.  It may take you a minute but if you are really committed...it will become automatic over time.
4. You will have what you say.  Life and death are in the power of the tongue.  If you begin to proclaim that you are a positive person it will be easier to commit to speaking positive.
5. Smile more than you frown. Smiling not only has an impact on you it has an impact on others.  This is one reason that people unconsciously want to be around you. :-)
6. Determine to give compliments to everyone!  If it's true that you see more of what you notice than the same is true YOU GET MORE OF WHAT YOU NOTICE.  If you catch people doing what is right and compliment them for it...guess what happens?  They start doing more of it!  This is not manipulation...it's influence.  And by the way...it's contagious.
7. Speak well of others. We will always have to deal with bad behavior by confronting it.  We should deal with the people who are directly involved rather than complaining about it to those are neither part of the problem nor part of the solution.  Remember what your mom said? "If you don't have anything positive to say, don't say anything at all."

Ultimately, complaining hurts us more than it hurts others.  By becoming more aware and more intentional, you can become a person others seek out and want to be around.