It Will Cost You
Theme of the week: The Secret to Joy-Filled Living
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
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Key Bible Verse: Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. (James 1:2) Dig Deeper: James 1:1-4
Joy is a state of mind that must be purposely cultivated if you are to live and love and influence others as God intended. Fortunately, joy does not depend on the outer conditions of your material life, but rather on the inner condition of your mental life. Joy is the result of something strikingly simple, though not necessarily easy: consistently thinking joy-producing thoughts.
Is this within your grasp? Is it even possible for anyone to accomplish? Before you answer, let me remind you that few endeavors worth pursuing come easily to anyone, and the attainment of a joy-filled spirit is no exception. There are risks in shooting for this gold standard of faith in action. There is a high price to be paid, and it must be paid in advance. Certain comfort thoughts will need to be relinquished. Counterproductive habits will need to be abandoned. Tenured excuses must be surrendered.
Since you are free to choose what you think about, and you have billions of options, what specific thoughts should you increase to become joy-filled? What specific thoughts should you decrease? What kinds of thoughts will distress your soul? What types of thoughts will nourish and hydrate your soul?
—Tommy Newberry in 40 Days to a Joy-Filled Life
My Response: How would I answer the four questions in the last paragraph?
Thought to Apply: I can say that I never knew what joy was until I gave up pursuing happiness, or cared to live until I chose to die. For these two discoveries I am beholden to Jesus.—Malcolm Muggeridge (British journalist, writer, apologist)
Adapted from 40 Days to a Joy-Filled Life (Tyndale, 2012) by permission. All rights reserved by the copyright holder and/or the publisher. May not be reproduced.
Copyright © 2013 by Christianity Today/Men of Integrity magazine. Click here for reprint information on Men of Integrity. 1 of 1
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Father, help me to think about the good rather than the bad, the true rather than the false; even amid difficult and painful experiences, may I turn to you for hope, peace, and joy.
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