In the Bible Paul wrote an entire letter about joy: the book of Philippians. He gives you some clear direction for keeping joy as a central part of your life and to keep the values on your Life Palette filled with joy! As you live in joy you will tap into your potential. And you can begin today!
In Philippians 3:1, Paul says, “Whatever happens, my dear brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord. I never get tired of telling you these things, and I do it to safeguard your faith.” Seriously Paul…no matter what happens, rejoice?
It helps to know Paul is writing this letter from prison, incarcerated for his faith and testimony, guilty only of being a follower of Jesus. He was facing a possible execution when he wrote those words. Maybe you’ve felt your circumstances are pressing in on you so heavily, you can’t go any further. How do you continue? Joy.
Know What Brings You Joy
Know what brings you the greatest joy and keep living in the fruit of the Spirit, regardless of your circumstances. How? By trusting Him completely in difficulty and by living in faith that God is in control even when you’re under intense trial or experiencing overwhelming sorrow.
Look For The Best In Others
A great way to live in joy is to look for the best in others. “Some are preaching out of jealousy and rivalry…They preach with selfish ambition, not sincerely, intending to make my chains more painful to me. But that doesn’t matter. Whether their motives are false or genuine, the message about Christ is being preached either way, so I rejoice. And I will continue to rejoice.” (Philippians 1:15-18) Paul admitted their motives were impure, yet he was looking for the best in them and continuing to rejoice and live in joy. The alternative is to allow others to steal your joy and actually control how you feel. That’ll negatively affect what’s placed on your Life Palette.
An Outlook Of Joy
So how do you do this when others hurt you? The key is to have the same outlook toward others that Jesus possessed. “Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.” (Philippians 2:3-5) Look at others knowing God has created them as His masterpiece, same as He did you. He’s given them gifts, talents, and a destiny to honor Him just as He has given those things to you.
The Secret In Every Situation
In Philippians 4:10-12, Paul shares a third secret to living in joy. “How I praise the Lord…for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little.”
Contentment is never an outward thing; it always comes from the joy of the Lord. You may be in the middle of some of the worst experiences in your life, yet you can experience joy through being content. Joy leads to values on your Life Palette that’ll help you live as His masterpiece.
A Final Thought
Finally, Paul encourages you to refocus your thoughts: “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.” (Philippians 4:6)Through Him, the one who created you as a masterpiece, you can have a joy not found anywhere else or through anyone else. Worry will rob you of joy and steal your peace of mind.
Worry is a sign you do not trust God or His ability to act on His promises on your behalf. These are values that will hinder your Life Palette. If you’ve prayed about something and are continuing to pray about something, why worry? God is not panicked or anxious and He certainly doesn’t want worry to be on your Life Palette. He wants joy! Refocus as you “fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” (Philippians 4:8)
Tap into your potential today by taking action and begin living in joy!
Feedback
Consider the gap between the potential you know you have and the life you are living. Make a conscious decision to make living a life of joy a strategy for tapping into and fulfilling your potential. Leave your questions and comments below, I would love to hear from you and your response will help others.
Life Palette:
This blog is adapted from my book Life Palette, both this blog and my book are for the sole purpose of helping you develop the palette in your life to live out your potential as the masterpiece God has created you to be. Get your signed copy of Life Palette and begin living everyday of your life as the masterpiece!