Do you want a minimal, moderate or unlimited amount of joy in your relationships with others? I think all of us would quickly agree on wanting unlimited joy in our relationships. Let's do a quick self evaluation to see if we are setting ourselves up for success.
Step 1: Let's first examine our vertical relationship with God. Using a 1-10 scale (1=Almost Never, 10=Always) rate yourself with the following 3 questions:
Do you read your Bible every day? (1-10)
Do you pray every day? (1-10)
Do you faithfully serve in your church? (1-10)
The purpose of doing a self rating is to allow for a moment of self reflection. Psalm 16:11 tells us we will be filled with joy in God's presence. If we seek to know God through His word, if we enter His throne room in prayer, and if we serve others in His house, we are living our lives in His presence and can be filled with joy!
Step 2: As we build our vertical relationship with God, we bring the joy He gives us into our horizontal relationships with others. Even when relationship struggles exists, God's joy remains if we abide in Him.
The remaining question is how much joy do you want? A minimal amount of joy is given with a minimal amount of Bible reading, prayer and service. A moderate amount of joy is given with a moderate amount of Bible reading, prayer and service. An unlimited amount of joy is given when we move beyond reading and begin to truly study His word, pray without ceasing and sacrificially serve. If you want to know unlimited joy, join a Bible study, make a prayer list and begin praying for others throughout the day, and ask the leadership of your church how you can serve in God's house. God wants to saturate our lives with His joy, and we must choose to invest our time in the presence of the one who gives joy.
Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you (Matthew 6:33).
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