John 10:10 has been one of my favorite Scriptures for many years. 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)” (AMPC). This verse clearly shows us that God wants us to enjoy our lives—in abundance, to the full, until we’re overflowing with joy!
I remember when God gave me the revelation that it’s His will for me to enjoy my life. It was life-changing because I used to be a miserable person who was emotionally unstable and couldn’t be happy unless I got my way in most circumstances.
Because of the abuse I had experienced throughout childhood, I was insecure, angry and didn’t trust anyone. But once I started seriously studying the Word of God, I came to realize that He didn’t want me to live this way. I could be healed and whole in my mind and emotions, and I could learn how to really enjoy my everyday life. Now, when I say God wanted me to enjoy my everyday life, I’m talking about doing ordinary life with calm delight and a smile on my face (John 15:11).
It seems today that most people believe they have to wait for their circumstances to change before they can enjoy life. But the truth is you can make the decision to enjoy your ordinary life and make it extraordinary, regardless of your circumstances.
One of the ways you can take ordinary life and make it extraordinary is to learn to do every single thing you do with and for God. We can be just as close to God in the grocery store as we are at church. It actually adds an edge of excitement when we let God be involved in everything we do.
He’s everywhere, all the time, and He’s just as interested in the routine, mundane tasks of our lives as He is in the more “spiritual” things we do.
The abundant life Christ offers goes deeper in our hearts than the way we feel about things. It’s an amazing thing when we learn how to have the peace and joy only God can give in every area of our lives, instead of the type of enjoyment that’s just based on emotional excitement.
The joy of the Lord is much greater than simply feeling happy. It brings peace and contentment to your soul, even when your circumstances are difficult and don’t make any sense. Nehemiah 8:10 says, “The joy of the Lord is your strength.”
This kind of joy makes the Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday routine enjoyable. And since most of life is Monday through Friday, we need to enjoy it!
In John 15:11, Jesus says, “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete,” (NIV). The AMPC translation says “that your joy and gladness may be of full measure and complete and overflowing.” In the 10 verses leading up to this one, Jesus is talking about abiding in Him, because that’s the key to living with His joy.
Abiding means “to live, dwell and remain in.” It’s having a personal relationship with Christ, getting to know Him through His Word, and talking to Him about anything and everything. It’s doing life together!
The truth is, apart from Jesus we can do nothing of real value, but with Him, we can bear much good fruit (John 15:5). Begin with filling your mind with God’s Word and learning to think like He thinks, and then choosing to allow those faith-filled thoughts to flow through your words and attitudes to the people around you.
We are taught in God’s Word that we reap what we sow (Gal. 6:7-8). The enemy—the devil—wants to steal our joy and destroy our lives. But Jesus came and died on the cross to give us abundant life, “to the full, till it overflows”! It’s a tragedy when born-again Christians don’t enjoy their lives because they have a “barely getting by, hanging on till Jesus comes to get me” mentality
Determine to have a thankful attitude in your day-to-day life. Thank God for the good things you can think of right now, and actively look for more things to add to the list each day. This will help you stay focused on God’s goodness.
God wants to abide with you every day, all throughout the day. He doesn’t just want you to seek Him when you go to church or when you’re desperate. His desire is to have a personal relationship with you, so you can experience His presence in everything you do. That’s when your everyday life is really enjoyable!
Joyce Meyer is a New York Times’ bestselling author and founder of Joyce Meyer Ministries Inc. She has authored 130 books, including Battlefield of the Mind and her newest devotional, Quiet Times With God (FaithWords). She hosts the Enjoying Everyday Life radio and TV programs, which air on hundreds of stations worldwide. For more information, visit joycemeyer.org.
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