When a religious person opens the Bible, eyes tend to focus on God’s commands as a giant to do list. This expectation can become overwhelming. Yet, the apostle Paul places the emphasis on improving your spiritual life. When you become wore down by the worries in life, you’re unable to help others as God intended. This is why Paul speaks of filling up and completing your joy to live an abundant life.
A time to kill and a time to heal, a time to break down and a time to build up, 4 A time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, Ecclesiastes 3:3-4.
When I went to fill up my car this week, the price of gas jumped by over 25 cents. This sticker shock placed an unnecessary burden upon my soul. While King Solomon wrote about the swing in emotions that every day brings, too much of one thing is not good. If you set out to fill up and complete your joy as Jesus describes in John 10:10, developing balance in your life is a crucial step to take,
Fill up and complete my joy by living in harmony and being of the same mind and one in purpose, having the same love, being in full accord and of one harmonious mind and intention. 3 Do nothing from factional motives [through contentiousness, strife, selfishness, or for unworthy ends] or prompted by conceit and empty arrogance. Instead, in the true spirit of humility (lowliness of mind) let each regard the others as better than and superior to himself [thinking more highly of one another than you do of yourselves]. 4 Let each of you esteem and look upon and be concerned for not [merely] his own interests, but also each for the interests of others, Philippians 2:2-4.
As someone who has a history of burning myself out from a lack of balance, if you don’t take care of yourself you won’t be able to help others as God intended. While Jesus devoted his life to serving others, He needed a small support group in the form of 12 disciples to fill up and complete God’s joy. If you don’t currently have a body of believers to share your life with, this void will keep you from filling up with joy. May 2022 be the year where you reach your full potential as you seek the joy promised in the Bible.
by Jay Mankus
ExpressYourself4Him 