1 00:00:02,640 --> 00:00:05,880 Speaker 1: Life Audio. Hey, there head their Creek war here. I'm 2 00:00:05,880 --> 00:00:08,320 Speaker 1: glad you're listening to the Compared to You podcast today. 3 00:00:08,680 --> 00:00:13,080 Speaker 1: Here's my question for you. That's February. How are you 4 00:00:13,240 --> 00:00:19,480 Speaker 1: doing with joy this year? Is joy something that overflows 5 00:00:19,520 --> 00:00:22,840 Speaker 1: in your life? Or is joy something that you feel 6 00:00:22,840 --> 00:00:27,920 Speaker 1: like you work hard to find or act like you 7 00:00:28,040 --> 00:00:33,160 Speaker 1: have it but it just doesn't feel real most days. 8 00:00:33,760 --> 00:00:37,279 Speaker 1: If that's where you're at today, this episode is for 9 00:00:37,320 --> 00:00:40,360 Speaker 1: you today. We're talking about what do you do and 10 00:00:40,440 --> 00:00:44,159 Speaker 1: you can't feel joy? Where do I find joy? How 11 00:00:44,159 --> 00:00:47,080 Speaker 1: do I grow in joy? That's where we're going today. 12 00:00:47,080 --> 00:00:49,519 Speaker 1: I'm so glad you're here for it. Hey. I want 13 00:00:49,560 --> 00:00:51,560 Speaker 1: to tell you about something that we did just for you, 14 00:00:51,720 --> 00:00:54,120 Speaker 1: and I want to make sure you take advantage of it. 15 00:00:54,120 --> 00:00:58,760 Speaker 1: It's a free mini course available at improvedbody image dot com. 16 00:00:58,760 --> 00:01:03,400 Speaker 1: It's called Obsessed to Blessed and I'm getting so much 17 00:01:03,480 --> 00:01:07,240 Speaker 1: positive feedback from the women that have jumped in with that. 18 00:01:07,840 --> 00:01:11,280 Speaker 1: There's a lot there. It's just a couple modules, it's 19 00:01:11,319 --> 00:01:14,680 Speaker 1: absolutely free, and it really could be helpful to you 20 00:01:15,400 --> 00:01:19,000 Speaker 1: if you're lacking enjoy and if you think your body 21 00:01:19,040 --> 00:01:21,679 Speaker 1: image is the reason for that. So go to improvebody 22 00:01:21,680 --> 00:01:28,880 Speaker 1: image dot com backslash obsessed, dash to dash Blessed, Obsessed 23 00:01:28,880 --> 00:01:31,000 Speaker 1: to bless The link is also in the show notes 24 00:01:31,240 --> 00:01:33,680 Speaker 1: and grab that free mini course. Now let's get to 25 00:01:33,680 --> 00:01:53,320 Speaker 1: today's episode. How do we grow enjoy? That's the million 26 00:01:53,400 --> 00:01:57,960 Speaker 1: dollar question today and where I want us to go is. 27 00:01:58,040 --> 00:02:00,440 Speaker 1: I'm going to start by sharing my story. It's been 28 00:02:00,480 --> 00:02:03,000 Speaker 1: a few years since I shared my story on the 29 00:02:03,040 --> 00:02:06,400 Speaker 1: podcast in this way, and so maybe if you're nearer 30 00:02:06,400 --> 00:02:09,080 Speaker 1: to the show, you've never even heard my story, but 31 00:02:09,320 --> 00:02:11,600 Speaker 1: I want to share it today in the context of 32 00:02:11,800 --> 00:02:16,800 Speaker 1: the struggle I had, even as a Christian woman, even 33 00:02:16,800 --> 00:02:18,800 Speaker 1: as someone who knew all the God and Jesus answers, 34 00:02:18,880 --> 00:02:22,880 Speaker 1: I knew scripture, but man, it felt hard to find 35 00:02:23,040 --> 00:02:25,840 Speaker 1: joy in my life. And so I'm going to share 36 00:02:25,919 --> 00:02:27,760 Speaker 1: my story, and then I'm going to share with you 37 00:02:27,919 --> 00:02:31,760 Speaker 1: three things that I think block us from feeling and 38 00:02:31,800 --> 00:02:35,200 Speaker 1: finding joy, the joy that Jesus kind of tells us 39 00:02:35,240 --> 00:02:37,560 Speaker 1: we should have and can have as Christians in this 40 00:02:37,720 --> 00:02:40,480 Speaker 1: life here and now on earth, no matter what the 41 00:02:40,600 --> 00:02:43,560 Speaker 1: circumstance is. And then we're going to talk about three 42 00:02:43,600 --> 00:02:47,000 Speaker 1: ways that you can grow in joy. I've been immersed 43 00:02:47,040 --> 00:02:50,320 Speaker 1: in this topic this week, as I've been preparing to 44 00:02:50,480 --> 00:02:54,079 Speaker 1: teach on joy at our women's conference at our church, 45 00:02:54,600 --> 00:02:58,399 Speaker 1: shout out to Lakeview Bible Church, Austin and woot woot. 46 00:02:58,480 --> 00:03:00,160 Speaker 1: And I thought, as I was preparing for it's like, 47 00:03:00,200 --> 00:03:02,960 Speaker 1: you know what, my podcast listeners could probably be encouraged 48 00:03:02,960 --> 00:03:04,799 Speaker 1: by this too, So I hope you are. Let's jump 49 00:03:04,880 --> 00:03:08,680 Speaker 1: right into it. So my story, it's always funny for 50 00:03:08,760 --> 00:03:11,960 Speaker 1: me to tell my testimony because I feel like it 51 00:03:12,040 --> 00:03:16,880 Speaker 1: is like the most vanilla, most boring testimony out there. 52 00:03:16,960 --> 00:03:22,359 Speaker 1: I used to feel jealous, envious of people who had 53 00:03:22,400 --> 00:03:26,919 Speaker 1: these dramatic testimonies of you know, being caught in addiction 54 00:03:27,560 --> 00:03:30,880 Speaker 1: or just like having a long rap sheet of things 55 00:03:30,919 --> 00:03:34,280 Speaker 1: and feeling like God just rescued them and restored them 56 00:03:34,320 --> 00:03:37,000 Speaker 1: and healed them and changed them and helped them just 57 00:03:37,120 --> 00:03:42,320 Speaker 1: do a one eighty turn from where they were. And 58 00:03:42,440 --> 00:03:46,360 Speaker 1: my story isn't like that at all. In fact, did 59 00:03:46,400 --> 00:03:48,880 Speaker 1: I use the word vanilla because I feel like it's 60 00:03:48,920 --> 00:03:53,080 Speaker 1: pretty vanilla. Like a white girl raised in the suburbs 61 00:03:53,360 --> 00:03:57,160 Speaker 1: in church three times a week, started going to Christian 62 00:03:57,240 --> 00:04:01,240 Speaker 1: school in seventh grade, went to Christian in college, went 63 00:04:01,320 --> 00:04:10,960 Speaker 1: to Christian graduate school. Boring and Honestly, I was a 64 00:04:10,960 --> 00:04:16,360 Speaker 1: good girl. I mean, yeah, remember lying a few times, 65 00:04:16,680 --> 00:04:23,839 Speaker 1: twisting the truth colorfully, omitting facts sorts of things. But 66 00:04:24,000 --> 00:04:28,159 Speaker 1: I felt like as far as living the Christian life went, 67 00:04:28,279 --> 00:04:30,880 Speaker 1: I was doing pretty well. I hadn't really done anything 68 00:04:31,640 --> 00:04:36,640 Speaker 1: that bad. I had avoided all the quote unquote major sins, 69 00:04:38,400 --> 00:04:44,080 Speaker 1: and yet I did not have joy. Now was I 70 00:04:44,160 --> 00:04:48,080 Speaker 1: happy sometimes? Of course, of course there were moments of happiness, 71 00:04:49,279 --> 00:04:52,039 Speaker 1: but a lot of that happiness had to do with achievement, 72 00:04:53,320 --> 00:04:58,000 Speaker 1: and I learned pretty quickly that the buzz of happiness 73 00:04:58,040 --> 00:05:03,679 Speaker 1: after achievement fades really fast. And I just had this one, 74 00:05:04,240 --> 00:05:08,320 Speaker 1: like all consuming struggle, and it was something that was 75 00:05:08,400 --> 00:05:10,880 Speaker 1: just always in my head all the time, twenty four 76 00:05:10,920 --> 00:05:14,200 Speaker 1: hours a day. Okay, maybe not twenty four hours a day, 77 00:05:14,240 --> 00:05:17,320 Speaker 1: but I'm pretty sure I dreamt about it too. And 78 00:05:17,360 --> 00:05:21,360 Speaker 1: that was changing my body, you see. Starting around the 79 00:05:21,480 --> 00:05:24,920 Speaker 1: third grade, I remember looking into the full length mirror 80 00:05:25,520 --> 00:05:31,680 Speaker 1: in my bedroom, wearing pink pleather pants and deciding that 81 00:05:31,800 --> 00:05:35,000 Speaker 1: my legs were too fat. And I went to school 82 00:05:35,320 --> 00:05:37,520 Speaker 1: and I looked around and I noticed that the legs 83 00:05:37,560 --> 00:05:39,880 Speaker 1: of the other little girls were not as big as mine, 84 00:05:40,400 --> 00:05:42,960 Speaker 1: and therefore I did have a problem. My legs were 85 00:05:43,440 --> 00:05:48,559 Speaker 1: indeed too fat. That was third grade. So by middle 86 00:05:48,560 --> 00:05:50,760 Speaker 1: school I was dieting with my mom. Whatever diet she 87 00:05:50,880 --> 00:05:53,640 Speaker 1: was on, I was on too, just maybe to a 88 00:05:53,720 --> 00:05:56,760 Speaker 1: lesser degree, but I tried to follow the points plan 89 00:05:57,160 --> 00:06:00,280 Speaker 1: or only drink the shakes two times a day and 90 00:06:00,360 --> 00:06:03,400 Speaker 1: need a healthy dinner, you know, whatever plant she was falling, 91 00:06:03,600 --> 00:06:07,839 Speaker 1: I was trying to do it too. By high school, though, 92 00:06:09,320 --> 00:06:12,520 Speaker 1: you know, I'm an overchiever, I was like, ah, following 93 00:06:12,560 --> 00:06:16,039 Speaker 1: a plan, like I can do better than that. I 94 00:06:16,080 --> 00:06:19,240 Speaker 1: can just not eat. And so that became a goal 95 00:06:19,320 --> 00:06:21,480 Speaker 1: of mine every day to try not to eat. And 96 00:06:22,080 --> 00:06:24,440 Speaker 1: what happened is I could make it most of the day, 97 00:06:24,600 --> 00:06:26,640 Speaker 1: you know, rush out the door to school, be busy 98 00:06:26,680 --> 00:06:29,400 Speaker 1: at school all day, skip lunch, which is a very 99 00:06:30,080 --> 00:06:35,039 Speaker 1: unfortunately typical thing for high school girls to do. I 100 00:06:35,040 --> 00:06:37,960 Speaker 1: could do after school activities, get home around five o'clock, 101 00:06:38,080 --> 00:06:40,680 Speaker 1: and I've made it most of that time or all 102 00:06:40,720 --> 00:06:43,160 Speaker 1: of that time without eating. But then I get home 103 00:06:43,200 --> 00:06:46,039 Speaker 1: and I'd be ravenous, and so I would snack and 104 00:06:46,040 --> 00:06:48,000 Speaker 1: I would grab things, and I would eat a normal 105 00:06:48,040 --> 00:06:52,040 Speaker 1: dinner with my family, and I would just eat, eat, eat, 106 00:06:53,000 --> 00:06:54,520 Speaker 1: and I would go to bed feeling like I'd done 107 00:06:54,520 --> 00:06:57,919 Speaker 1: something wrong, like I had failed because I vowed to 108 00:06:57,960 --> 00:06:59,960 Speaker 1: myself that I wasn't gonna eat, and I broke the 109 00:07:00,200 --> 00:07:04,360 Speaker 1: vow I ate, And that happened almost every single day. 110 00:07:05,720 --> 00:07:08,240 Speaker 1: And the thing is, I didn't know that was disordered 111 00:07:08,320 --> 00:07:13,320 Speaker 1: thinking or disordered behavior. I mean, in some ways, like 112 00:07:13,680 --> 00:07:16,680 Speaker 1: people would applaud you for being able to skip the 113 00:07:16,760 --> 00:07:21,560 Speaker 1: meal or say no to the pizza or whatever it was, 114 00:07:21,640 --> 00:07:24,880 Speaker 1: it felt like I was doing something good by choosing 115 00:07:24,880 --> 00:07:28,840 Speaker 1: not to eat. By college, my sophomore year, I had 116 00:07:28,840 --> 00:07:33,640 Speaker 1: lost my period for about nine months, and at that 117 00:07:33,800 --> 00:07:37,240 Speaker 1: time there wasn't a category of eating disorders for people 118 00:07:37,280 --> 00:07:40,280 Speaker 1: like me. If you were anorexic, you were underweight and 119 00:07:40,320 --> 00:07:42,840 Speaker 1: you looked like you were on and after school special 120 00:07:43,400 --> 00:07:47,320 Speaker 1: you were super thin. And if you were a bullieming, 121 00:07:47,440 --> 00:07:50,200 Speaker 1: you were purging. And I wasn't able to purge, although 122 00:07:50,200 --> 00:07:52,360 Speaker 1: I did try, and I did feel some shame about 123 00:07:52,400 --> 00:07:57,480 Speaker 1: not being able to do that, And it felt like 124 00:07:58,120 --> 00:08:04,920 Speaker 1: to me, joy was something that I could attain if 125 00:08:04,960 --> 00:08:07,320 Speaker 1: I just got my body the way I wanted it 126 00:08:07,360 --> 00:08:09,400 Speaker 1: to be, like I had again, I had the God 127 00:08:09,400 --> 00:08:12,480 Speaker 1: of Jesus answer, Yeah, Jesus is where the joy is. 128 00:08:13,160 --> 00:08:15,120 Speaker 1: Joy of the Lord is my strength. I could tell 129 00:08:15,160 --> 00:08:19,520 Speaker 1: you all the verses, and yet what I really believed, right, 130 00:08:19,560 --> 00:08:22,040 Speaker 1: because what we believe is more than just what we think. 131 00:08:22,280 --> 00:08:25,560 Speaker 1: What we believe is how we act. Right. If you 132 00:08:25,560 --> 00:08:27,960 Speaker 1: say you believe something and then you act otherwise, you 133 00:08:28,000 --> 00:08:31,440 Speaker 1: don't really believe what you say you believe. And so 134 00:08:31,640 --> 00:08:34,160 Speaker 1: I said, I believe Jesus was where the joy was. 135 00:08:35,000 --> 00:08:37,920 Speaker 1: But the way I acted was that the joy was 136 00:08:37,960 --> 00:08:40,840 Speaker 1: actually going to be found in something here on this earth. 137 00:08:41,400 --> 00:08:43,320 Speaker 1: That the joy was going to be found when I 138 00:08:43,360 --> 00:08:47,680 Speaker 1: could get my body just the way I wanted it 139 00:08:47,720 --> 00:08:50,640 Speaker 1: to be. I wanted to be a certain size, I 140 00:08:50,679 --> 00:08:53,199 Speaker 1: wanted to look a certain way. I wanted certain parts 141 00:08:53,240 --> 00:08:55,720 Speaker 1: to be shaped in a certain way. I wanted my 142 00:08:55,760 --> 00:08:57,560 Speaker 1: skin to be clear, I wanted my air to be good. 143 00:08:58,040 --> 00:09:03,400 Speaker 1: All of those things sessions of mine, and I chased 144 00:09:03,760 --> 00:09:10,040 Speaker 1: body change, thinking that's where I'd find joy. I told 145 00:09:10,080 --> 00:09:12,839 Speaker 1: you about my restrictive tendencies. But what I didn't tell 146 00:09:12,840 --> 00:09:15,160 Speaker 1: you was when I got out of college and moved 147 00:09:15,160 --> 00:09:18,320 Speaker 1: to Washington, d C. To work on Capitol Hill, I 148 00:09:18,360 --> 00:09:22,000 Speaker 1: discovered exercise. Now I dabbled an exercise I did some running, 149 00:09:22,040 --> 00:09:25,560 Speaker 1: that sort of thing, but I was able to go 150 00:09:25,640 --> 00:09:30,720 Speaker 1: into a gym and see those fitness instructors and I 151 00:09:30,800 --> 00:09:33,160 Speaker 1: had a thought when I saw them. I thought, you 152 00:09:33,200 --> 00:09:36,040 Speaker 1: know what if I could just be one of those 153 00:09:36,120 --> 00:09:39,120 Speaker 1: people with a little microphone and the word instructor across 154 00:09:39,160 --> 00:09:43,640 Speaker 1: my back. I am sure those people they're satisfied, they 155 00:09:43,640 --> 00:09:46,280 Speaker 1: have joy, they're not trying to fix their bodies. They're there, 156 00:09:46,360 --> 00:09:49,840 Speaker 1: they've arrived, And so I made that a personal goal. 157 00:09:50,440 --> 00:09:54,240 Speaker 1: Now I had jobs, like full time jobs, but on 158 00:09:54,360 --> 00:09:58,800 Speaker 1: the side, I was pursuing becoming a certified fitness instructor, 159 00:09:58,920 --> 00:10:02,839 Speaker 1: and eventually I started teaching classes after work, before work, 160 00:10:03,040 --> 00:10:06,400 Speaker 1: anytime I could, because that was how I was really 161 00:10:06,400 --> 00:10:09,480 Speaker 1: going to prove myself. The only problem was it didn't 162 00:10:09,520 --> 00:10:12,280 Speaker 1: work and I didn't find more joy once I started 163 00:10:12,320 --> 00:10:16,760 Speaker 1: teaching kickboxing or spinning classes. In fact, almost app as 164 00:10:16,800 --> 00:10:19,320 Speaker 1: it happened, I got to that place that I had 165 00:10:19,400 --> 00:10:25,160 Speaker 1: always dreamt of being, and instead of feeling free and alive, man, 166 00:10:25,240 --> 00:10:29,280 Speaker 1: I compared myself more than ever. I noticed every woman 167 00:10:29,480 --> 00:10:33,160 Speaker 1: in that room, in that aerobic studio, who had better 168 00:10:33,240 --> 00:10:35,679 Speaker 1: legs than I did, who was more in shape than 169 00:10:35,679 --> 00:10:38,360 Speaker 1: I was, who was thinner than I was. It didn't work, 170 00:10:39,840 --> 00:10:42,280 Speaker 1: and then I realized, Okay, you know what, maybe this 171 00:10:42,360 --> 00:10:45,040 Speaker 1: hasn't been really about my body. Maybe this has really 172 00:10:45,080 --> 00:10:47,839 Speaker 1: been about me being single. If I could just fix 173 00:10:47,920 --> 00:10:51,800 Speaker 1: my single status, then that's where the joy comes, right. 174 00:10:51,880 --> 00:10:54,200 Speaker 1: I've always longed to be married. If I could just 175 00:10:55,000 --> 00:10:59,440 Speaker 1: find a man get married, my body image issues will disappear, 176 00:11:00,120 --> 00:11:04,959 Speaker 1: and joy will flood over me like a tsunami. And 177 00:11:05,040 --> 00:11:08,680 Speaker 1: so finally, at age thirty, my husband and I met 178 00:11:08,720 --> 00:11:11,480 Speaker 1: on a little dating app. At the time, it actually 179 00:11:11,480 --> 00:11:14,240 Speaker 1: was in an app. It was a computer program appstent Exist, 180 00:11:14,280 --> 00:11:18,400 Speaker 1: then called e Harmony. We had both just turned thirty 181 00:11:18,480 --> 00:11:22,559 Speaker 1: years old. He was a marine fighter pilot, and when 182 00:11:22,559 --> 00:11:25,280 Speaker 1: I got matched with him, I clicked yes please. I 183 00:11:25,440 --> 00:11:28,120 Speaker 1: wasn't really a choice, and I felt like I was cooking, 184 00:11:28,880 --> 00:11:31,320 Speaker 1: and we started dating and we were just kind of 185 00:11:31,320 --> 00:11:34,240 Speaker 1: together after that first date, and we got married about 186 00:11:34,520 --> 00:11:39,760 Speaker 1: fifteen months later. And I remember distinctly waking app after 187 00:11:40,120 --> 00:11:43,360 Speaker 1: our wedding night. We were in a little hotel room 188 00:11:43,520 --> 00:11:46,280 Speaker 1: in Washington, d C. Downtown by the White House, so 189 00:11:47,000 --> 00:11:49,880 Speaker 1: the rooms at those hotels are not very large, and 190 00:11:49,920 --> 00:11:52,679 Speaker 1: I remember sitting up in bed and looking in this 191 00:11:53,120 --> 00:11:56,520 Speaker 1: very old, antiquish mirror that was kind of in front 192 00:11:56,520 --> 00:11:59,960 Speaker 1: of the bed, and thinking, I don't feel any diffait, 193 00:12:01,200 --> 00:12:03,559 Speaker 1: like I am supposed to feel like the happiest woman 194 00:12:03,600 --> 00:12:06,600 Speaker 1: on earth right now because I am married, and I 195 00:12:06,720 --> 00:12:10,520 Speaker 1: still just feel like me, I feel the same. It 196 00:12:10,559 --> 00:12:14,360 Speaker 1: didn't work. I was so devastated that it didn't work. 197 00:12:14,640 --> 00:12:16,920 Speaker 1: In fact, I was so devastated that didn't work. I 198 00:12:17,000 --> 00:12:20,600 Speaker 1: pretty much spent most of our honeymoon blaming my husband, like, 199 00:12:20,679 --> 00:12:23,920 Speaker 1: you must be doing something wrong because I don't feel 200 00:12:23,960 --> 00:12:25,760 Speaker 1: the way I thought it was going to feel. You 201 00:12:25,840 --> 00:12:28,040 Speaker 1: must not be saying the right things, you must not 202 00:12:28,080 --> 00:12:30,800 Speaker 1: be acting the right way, Like this is not what 203 00:12:30,960 --> 00:12:34,040 Speaker 1: I wanted it to be and it must be your fault. 204 00:12:35,440 --> 00:12:38,480 Speaker 1: And as you can imagine, that didn't make for a 205 00:12:38,640 --> 00:12:43,079 Speaker 1: very wonderful honeymoon. Our journey into marriage was a little rough. 206 00:12:44,360 --> 00:12:47,080 Speaker 1: Four months in the marriage, I actually got pregnant, and 207 00:12:47,360 --> 00:12:49,719 Speaker 1: again I thought, well, this is where the joy is 208 00:12:49,800 --> 00:12:52,440 Speaker 1: because I've always wanted to be a mom. I'm gonna 209 00:12:52,480 --> 00:12:56,200 Speaker 1: have a baby. I mean, I'm just gonna be flooded 210 00:12:56,720 --> 00:13:01,760 Speaker 1: with warm, fuzzy mommy feelings and this is going to 211 00:13:01,840 --> 00:13:04,480 Speaker 1: solve everything. This is going to make our marriage better. 212 00:13:05,520 --> 00:13:07,640 Speaker 1: This is going to take away my body image issues 213 00:13:07,679 --> 00:13:10,600 Speaker 1: because I am going to have another person to keep alive. 214 00:13:11,280 --> 00:13:13,480 Speaker 1: So how in the world could I have time to 215 00:13:13,520 --> 00:13:15,360 Speaker 1: obsess over what I look like like I'm going to 216 00:13:15,400 --> 00:13:19,119 Speaker 1: have something important to do. And I really believe motherhood 217 00:13:19,760 --> 00:13:23,320 Speaker 1: would solve everything, that it would bring the joy that 218 00:13:23,360 --> 00:13:29,240 Speaker 1: I had longed for, and instead it was just hard. 219 00:13:30,080 --> 00:13:33,160 Speaker 1: Oh man. I loved, loved, loved our babies. We had 220 00:13:33,200 --> 00:13:38,160 Speaker 1: four in just under five years, no twins, so I 221 00:13:38,280 --> 00:13:43,200 Speaker 1: was pregnant or breastfeeding for a solid four plus years. 222 00:13:43,240 --> 00:13:45,960 Speaker 1: And I loved each of those babies. But I struggled too. 223 00:13:47,200 --> 00:13:49,959 Speaker 1: I had some postpartum depression in there, even maybe a 224 00:13:50,000 --> 00:13:56,360 Speaker 1: little bit of postpartum psychosis. I did not feel joyful. 225 00:13:57,400 --> 00:14:01,920 Speaker 1: I was living this dream that I had always always 226 00:14:02,320 --> 00:14:06,440 Speaker 1: wanted to be a wife, to be a mom. I 227 00:14:06,440 --> 00:14:10,840 Speaker 1: had a great husband, I had beautiful, healthy children, and 228 00:14:10,960 --> 00:14:16,720 Speaker 1: yet I did not feel joy. And the bigger struggle 229 00:14:16,920 --> 00:14:20,640 Speaker 1: was I thought I had the cut in Jesus answer right, 230 00:14:20,760 --> 00:14:23,240 Speaker 1: Like I listened to the sermons, Jesus is where the 231 00:14:23,320 --> 00:14:26,600 Speaker 1: joy is. You know, find joy and the Lord. Just 232 00:14:26,600 --> 00:14:28,360 Speaker 1: get to know the Lord and then you have joy, 233 00:14:28,840 --> 00:14:31,400 Speaker 1: and I was like, I do know the Lord, I 234 00:14:31,720 --> 00:14:36,200 Speaker 1: do read the Bible. Sometimes I pray a lot, I 235 00:14:36,240 --> 00:14:39,600 Speaker 1: go to church, I'm involved in church. Where is my joy? 236 00:14:40,360 --> 00:14:42,920 Speaker 1: Why don't I have it? And so that's where're going today. 237 00:14:43,400 --> 00:14:45,000 Speaker 1: I'm going to continue to share with you my story 238 00:14:45,120 --> 00:14:48,840 Speaker 1: as I share with you what I discovered about why 239 00:14:49,040 --> 00:14:51,280 Speaker 1: I didn't feel joy, and then I'm gonna give you 240 00:14:51,320 --> 00:14:54,960 Speaker 1: three strategies for increasing and joy. Okay, So to begin, 241 00:14:55,160 --> 00:14:58,600 Speaker 1: we have to define terms correctly. Okay. So a lot 242 00:14:58,640 --> 00:15:01,920 Speaker 1: of times we might say we're in the pursuit of happiness, 243 00:15:03,320 --> 00:15:07,480 Speaker 1: and there's nothing wrong with happiness. Happiness is fantastic. But 244 00:15:07,520 --> 00:15:12,880 Speaker 1: there's a difference between happiness and joy. Happiness is really 245 00:15:13,040 --> 00:15:17,960 Speaker 1: sourced by circumstances or outcomes or experiences. I did this thing, 246 00:15:18,040 --> 00:15:21,040 Speaker 1: I experienced this thing and made me happy. Joy is deeper. 247 00:15:21,120 --> 00:15:24,000 Speaker 1: The source of joy is always and only Jesus and 248 00:15:24,040 --> 00:15:28,400 Speaker 1: our salvation in him. Happiness is more of an emotional response, 249 00:15:28,800 --> 00:15:32,880 Speaker 1: whereas joy goes beyond our feelings. It's a deeper posture. 250 00:15:32,960 --> 00:15:38,360 Speaker 1: It's a more settled place of knowing who you are 251 00:15:38,480 --> 00:15:41,120 Speaker 1: and who you belong to. And so that makes it 252 00:15:41,400 --> 00:15:49,200 Speaker 1: different from just feeling happiness. Happiness is temporary and changeable, 253 00:15:49,640 --> 00:15:54,960 Speaker 1: whereas joy is enduring and resilient, and happiness answers the 254 00:15:55,080 --> 00:15:58,000 Speaker 1: question is life going well right now? If life's going well, 255 00:15:58,160 --> 00:16:00,440 Speaker 1: then I'm happy. If it's not going well, maybe I'm 256 00:16:00,440 --> 00:16:04,120 Speaker 1: not so happy. But joy answers the question is my 257 00:16:04,240 --> 00:16:10,600 Speaker 1: life grounded in something or really someone secure. If we're 258 00:16:10,600 --> 00:16:14,400 Speaker 1: looking for happiness, we're vulnerable to stress, loss, and disappointment 259 00:16:14,400 --> 00:16:16,840 Speaker 1: because those things can make our happiness that disappear in 260 00:16:16,840 --> 00:16:20,160 Speaker 1: a flash. But joy is different because joy is able 261 00:16:20,200 --> 00:16:25,360 Speaker 1: to coexist with grief, with hardship, and with uncertainty. You see, 262 00:16:25,440 --> 00:16:33,160 Speaker 1: joy doesn't deny pain. Joy atlasts our pain. So why 263 00:16:33,160 --> 00:16:36,040 Speaker 1: couldn't I find joy? I think I couldn't find joy 264 00:16:36,080 --> 00:16:40,480 Speaker 1: because I spelled joy wrong. Okay, I don't mean that literally. 265 00:16:40,560 --> 00:16:43,800 Speaker 1: I know it's spelled joy, But I thought that JOI 266 00:16:43,840 --> 00:16:49,720 Speaker 1: stood for just over yonder. I thought joy was something 267 00:16:49,760 --> 00:16:54,960 Speaker 1: that I needed to strive for, work for, try to find, achieve. 268 00:16:55,960 --> 00:16:59,120 Speaker 1: And what I've learned now is that misspelling joy is 269 00:16:59,160 --> 00:17:02,560 Speaker 1: what creates that that we all feel sometimes. And there's 270 00:17:02,600 --> 00:17:05,600 Speaker 1: three main ways that I think we search for just 271 00:17:05,800 --> 00:17:10,199 Speaker 1: over yonder joy and those three ways are we believe 272 00:17:10,280 --> 00:17:12,840 Speaker 1: that joy comes when you get it all right, that 273 00:17:12,960 --> 00:17:17,479 Speaker 1: joy comes when you get there it's an arrival based joy, 274 00:17:17,760 --> 00:17:20,399 Speaker 1: or that joy comes when you just get positive. We 275 00:17:20,600 --> 00:17:23,040 Speaker 1: just have great positive thinking. So we're going to go 276 00:17:23,080 --> 00:17:26,080 Speaker 1: through those three lies because these are lies. This is 277 00:17:26,080 --> 00:17:28,960 Speaker 1: not where joy comes from. Joy comes from Jesus alone. 278 00:17:29,160 --> 00:17:31,600 Speaker 1: And a lot of us believe a Jesus plus gospel 279 00:17:31,760 --> 00:17:34,640 Speaker 1: that joy will come when I have Jesus plus this. 280 00:17:35,960 --> 00:17:38,840 Speaker 1: And these are those three lies that kind of fill 281 00:17:38,840 --> 00:17:41,399 Speaker 1: in the blank and that Jesus plus equation. So the 282 00:17:41,400 --> 00:17:44,679 Speaker 1: first one is just over yonder. Joy believes that joy 283 00:17:44,680 --> 00:17:47,439 Speaker 1: comes when you get it all right. I'm gonna call 284 00:17:47,440 --> 00:17:50,800 Speaker 1: this get it right joy, and get it right joy 285 00:17:51,600 --> 00:17:56,120 Speaker 1: looks forward to do list for success right, like if 286 00:17:56,160 --> 00:18:01,040 Speaker 1: I just do parenting just right, if I do just right, 287 00:18:01,080 --> 00:18:03,679 Speaker 1: I have to do this, this, this, this, then I 288 00:18:03,720 --> 00:18:06,600 Speaker 1: will unlock joy. It's like joy is locked in this 289 00:18:06,720 --> 00:18:10,800 Speaker 1: combination lock box. And if I do this three clicks 290 00:18:10,840 --> 00:18:12,639 Speaker 1: to the right, and if I do this, seven clicks 291 00:18:12,680 --> 00:18:14,879 Speaker 1: the left, and if I do this fourteen clicks to 292 00:18:14,960 --> 00:18:18,680 Speaker 1: the right and boom, the box of joy is unlocked 293 00:18:18,760 --> 00:18:23,199 Speaker 1: for me. We can even treat our Christian life in 294 00:18:23,240 --> 00:18:25,879 Speaker 1: this way, right, we can believe that I need to 295 00:18:25,880 --> 00:18:28,240 Speaker 1: be a good Christian three clicks to the right, seven 296 00:18:28,240 --> 00:18:30,680 Speaker 1: clicks to the left. If I just do all the things, 297 00:18:31,359 --> 00:18:35,480 Speaker 1: then I will feel joy. But in that in even 298 00:18:35,560 --> 00:18:38,240 Speaker 1: just doing all the things, even if they are good things, 299 00:18:39,520 --> 00:18:43,000 Speaker 1: we miss the giver of joy, We miss Jesus, and 300 00:18:43,040 --> 00:18:46,720 Speaker 1: so believing that you unlock the formula for joy when 301 00:18:46,720 --> 00:18:49,960 Speaker 1: you get it right, what does this lead to? A friend? 302 00:18:50,000 --> 00:18:53,720 Speaker 1: This leads to perfectionism, legalism, It leads to this be 303 00:18:53,880 --> 00:18:56,480 Speaker 1: the best or do better kind of drive, or we're 304 00:18:56,520 --> 00:18:58,919 Speaker 1: always shoulting all over ourselves, like you should do this, 305 00:18:59,000 --> 00:19:02,080 Speaker 1: you should do this, you should this. We are striving 306 00:19:02,119 --> 00:19:05,879 Speaker 1: to do all the things and friend you know as 307 00:19:05,960 --> 00:19:09,800 Speaker 1: well as I do, especially especially in the realm of 308 00:19:09,920 --> 00:19:14,080 Speaker 1: body image issues or what we may call health. Right now, 309 00:19:14,320 --> 00:19:19,240 Speaker 1: doing all the things is almost enough to make you crazy. 310 00:19:19,440 --> 00:19:21,480 Speaker 1: In fact, when I give this talk, when I gave 311 00:19:21,520 --> 00:19:25,920 Speaker 1: it this weekend, I shared a hilarious video from Instagram, 312 00:19:26,000 --> 00:19:29,720 Speaker 1: which you can see in the YouTube version of this podcast, 313 00:19:30,119 --> 00:19:33,159 Speaker 1: and this woman is talking about like what if you 314 00:19:33,280 --> 00:19:37,040 Speaker 1: tried to change your body in the decade of January 315 00:19:37,119 --> 00:19:40,240 Speaker 1: And she just goes through hilarious list of like you 316 00:19:40,320 --> 00:19:42,639 Speaker 1: have to do all the things, and after you do 317 00:19:42,680 --> 00:19:43,919 Speaker 1: all the things, you have to make sure you get 318 00:19:43,920 --> 00:19:45,280 Speaker 1: the nine hours of sleep, and you have to make 319 00:19:45,320 --> 00:19:47,040 Speaker 1: sure that you're not stressed about doing all the things. 320 00:19:47,040 --> 00:19:50,920 Speaker 1: And we know what this feels like, don't mean get 321 00:19:50,960 --> 00:19:53,520 Speaker 1: it all right? Joy when we believe that if we 322 00:19:53,640 --> 00:19:56,680 Speaker 1: just get it all right, like a perfect combination. A 323 00:19:56,680 --> 00:20:00,679 Speaker 1: friend that puts us on a treadmill, and it's a 324 00:20:00,720 --> 00:20:04,440 Speaker 1: treadmill that doesn't stop because we think we're getting in 325 00:20:04,480 --> 00:20:06,879 Speaker 1: the treadmill, like we're going to get there. I'm gonna 326 00:20:06,880 --> 00:20:08,760 Speaker 1: get my health right, I'm gonna get my body ride, 327 00:20:08,760 --> 00:20:10,399 Speaker 1: I'm gonna get my marriage right, my family right, my 328 00:20:10,440 --> 00:20:12,640 Speaker 1: Christian life right. And you get on, you start running, 329 00:20:12,680 --> 00:20:15,760 Speaker 1: run and run and run and run in but you're 330 00:20:15,800 --> 00:20:19,480 Speaker 1: on a treadmill. You never really arrive anywhere. And in fact, 331 00:20:19,640 --> 00:20:21,560 Speaker 1: what happens is as you try to get it right 332 00:20:21,600 --> 00:20:22,760 Speaker 1: and try to get it right and try to get 333 00:20:22,760 --> 00:20:25,240 Speaker 1: it right, the pressure increases, so it's beep, beep beep. 334 00:20:25,640 --> 00:20:28,439 Speaker 1: Before you started maybe running out of four speed, and 335 00:20:28,480 --> 00:20:30,359 Speaker 1: now you're at a five, and then you're at a six. 336 00:20:30,680 --> 00:20:32,720 Speaker 1: Beep beep, beep beep. Now you're at a seven. Okay, 337 00:20:32,760 --> 00:20:35,240 Speaker 1: now we're gonna add some incline. Beep beep beep. And 338 00:20:35,280 --> 00:20:36,639 Speaker 1: you're running and you run it and you running and 339 00:20:36,640 --> 00:20:40,680 Speaker 1: you running, you running and running, and what happens, Oh friend, 340 00:20:40,840 --> 00:20:46,560 Speaker 1: It is exhausting, and instead of finding joy, you find burnout, 341 00:20:46,840 --> 00:20:50,359 Speaker 1: you find stress. The joy that you thought would come, 342 00:20:50,359 --> 00:20:53,480 Speaker 1: that would unlock when you've got it all right, never 343 00:20:53,720 --> 00:20:57,920 Speaker 1: comes that way. And the talk I gave I created 344 00:20:58,119 --> 00:21:01,840 Speaker 1: a lot slide with a theme song for every one 345 00:21:01,880 --> 00:21:04,920 Speaker 1: of these lies. And I think the theme song forget 346 00:21:04,920 --> 00:21:09,639 Speaker 1: it right Joy is the song from Greatest Showmen. I 347 00:21:09,680 --> 00:21:13,119 Speaker 1: Love the Greatest Shoman, and it's a song where she 348 00:21:13,240 --> 00:21:14,840 Speaker 1: sings I'm not gonna try to sing it for you, 349 00:21:14,840 --> 00:21:18,240 Speaker 1: but it's never enough, never enough, never never, never enough, 350 00:21:18,320 --> 00:21:21,920 Speaker 1: never never right. That's what happens when we believe joy 351 00:21:21,960 --> 00:21:24,439 Speaker 1: comes from getting it all right. And so right now, 352 00:21:24,480 --> 00:21:26,920 Speaker 1: I'm just gonna ask you a question, what are you chasing? 353 00:21:27,760 --> 00:21:30,199 Speaker 1: Are you chasing Jesus? Because if you're chasing Jesus, you 354 00:21:30,280 --> 00:21:33,920 Speaker 1: won't be exhausted, you won't be stressed out, you won't 355 00:21:33,920 --> 00:21:36,440 Speaker 1: be on a treadmill to nowhere. In fact, it's more 356 00:21:36,520 --> 00:21:38,840 Speaker 1: like being on the walking path. Right where you're walking. 357 00:21:38,960 --> 00:21:41,320 Speaker 1: You're getting somewhere through the airport, but you're actually getting 358 00:21:41,320 --> 00:21:45,200 Speaker 1: to a destination with him. You're not on a treadmill 359 00:21:45,280 --> 00:21:50,040 Speaker 1: to nowhere. Are you looking for joy to come from 360 00:21:50,080 --> 00:21:55,600 Speaker 1: personal fulfillment, from accomplishments, friend, this is not where joy 361 00:21:55,680 --> 00:21:59,920 Speaker 1: comes from. Accomplishments can mark what we've done or who 362 00:22:00,119 --> 00:22:04,320 Speaker 1: we are. But joy blossoms when we rest in belonging 363 00:22:04,840 --> 00:22:09,040 Speaker 1: to Jesus and what He's done for us. Okay, Our 364 00:22:09,160 --> 00:22:13,480 Speaker 1: second lie for just over yonder joy is that joy 365 00:22:13,560 --> 00:22:18,360 Speaker 1: comes when you arrive. And I call this get their joy. 366 00:22:18,720 --> 00:22:24,320 Speaker 1: Joy becomes a destination if I can just get there. 367 00:22:24,880 --> 00:22:27,199 Speaker 1: For some of you, it's if I can just lose 368 00:22:27,920 --> 00:22:31,439 Speaker 1: enter number here pounce. If I can just get my 369 00:22:31,480 --> 00:22:34,119 Speaker 1: body right. You heard that in my story. If I 370 00:22:34,160 --> 00:22:37,800 Speaker 1: can just get to the next stage of these kids. 371 00:22:37,840 --> 00:22:40,360 Speaker 1: Oh the baby days are hard. Oh the tatherl days 372 00:22:40,359 --> 00:22:43,000 Speaker 1: are hard. Oh the preschool days are hard. Oh the 373 00:22:43,000 --> 00:22:45,520 Speaker 1: middle school days are hard. If I can just get 374 00:22:45,760 --> 00:22:47,560 Speaker 1: out of car seats, if I can just get out 375 00:22:47,600 --> 00:22:50,959 Speaker 1: of diapers, if I can just get everyone like driving 376 00:22:51,000 --> 00:22:53,320 Speaker 1: themselves to school, If I can just get everyone out 377 00:22:53,359 --> 00:22:55,600 Speaker 1: of high school. If I can just get everyone off 378 00:22:55,640 --> 00:22:59,440 Speaker 1: the payroll, like friend, it does not end. If we 379 00:22:59,560 --> 00:23:02,920 Speaker 1: believe if the joy will come when we arrive somewhere 380 00:23:02,920 --> 00:23:06,480 Speaker 1: in this earth, we are never going to find joy, 381 00:23:06,760 --> 00:23:11,160 Speaker 1: because that's not how life works. The only heaven we 382 00:23:11,160 --> 00:23:15,720 Speaker 1: were created to experience will come in the next life, 383 00:23:16,240 --> 00:23:18,639 Speaker 1: not in this one. So in this life it's just 384 00:23:18,680 --> 00:23:24,119 Speaker 1: a series of not destinations. But maybe like BUCkies, Okay, 385 00:23:24,640 --> 00:23:26,840 Speaker 1: like it's great to stop at BUCkies. You feel a 386 00:23:26,840 --> 00:23:29,159 Speaker 1: little elated when you stop at BUCkies, which is kind 387 00:23:29,200 --> 00:23:33,080 Speaker 1: of like this Texas. To call it a truck stop 388 00:23:33,160 --> 00:23:37,359 Speaker 1: or rest stop is completely underestimating BUCkies. But it's just 389 00:23:37,400 --> 00:23:40,600 Speaker 1: this amazing, magical place that has all kinds of drinks 390 00:23:40,600 --> 00:23:43,960 Speaker 1: and snacks and a thousand gas pumps, and you can 391 00:23:44,000 --> 00:23:47,520 Speaker 1: feel happy and joyful to some degree when you were there, 392 00:23:47,600 --> 00:23:50,440 Speaker 1: But then it's really not joy, right, because it's happiness 393 00:23:50,440 --> 00:23:52,520 Speaker 1: because it goes away as soon as you pull out 394 00:23:52,560 --> 00:23:56,920 Speaker 1: of BUCkies and get back on highway. And so believing 395 00:23:56,960 --> 00:24:01,560 Speaker 1: that joy comes when we arrive is really believing the 396 00:24:01,640 --> 00:24:05,480 Speaker 1: Jesus plus gospel. Then I need Jesus plus this thing 397 00:24:05,520 --> 00:24:08,639 Speaker 1: in my life. I need Jesus plus this next job. 398 00:24:08,960 --> 00:24:12,399 Speaker 1: I need Jesus plus this next season. I need Jesus 399 00:24:12,440 --> 00:24:16,320 Speaker 1: plus this next vacation. Or maybe it's as simple as 400 00:24:17,200 --> 00:24:20,679 Speaker 1: every day you spend waiting to get to the place 401 00:24:20,680 --> 00:24:22,800 Speaker 1: where at nine o'clock you can sit on the couch 402 00:24:22,840 --> 00:24:26,560 Speaker 1: with your ice cream. That is your destination, that is 403 00:24:26,600 --> 00:24:30,000 Speaker 1: your arrival point. Every day, a friend, you miss joy 404 00:24:30,119 --> 00:24:33,240 Speaker 1: all day long, believing that it can only come at 405 00:24:33,320 --> 00:24:36,640 Speaker 1: nine pm when you have your U time. And that's 406 00:24:36,680 --> 00:24:39,159 Speaker 1: not how we were designed to live. That's not the 407 00:24:39,280 --> 00:24:43,040 Speaker 1: kind of joy that God created us for. And so 408 00:24:43,040 --> 00:24:46,160 Speaker 1: when we live in this lie of joy comes when 409 00:24:46,200 --> 00:24:49,760 Speaker 1: you arrive. There's another theme song that we use. It's 410 00:24:49,840 --> 00:24:52,040 Speaker 1: a very famous theme song from the Wizard of Us 411 00:24:52,080 --> 00:24:55,280 Speaker 1: and it goes like this, somewhere over the rainbow, I'm 412 00:24:55,280 --> 00:24:58,200 Speaker 1: not going to sing for you. We believe that joy 413 00:24:58,280 --> 00:25:00,640 Speaker 1: is out there. It's just somewhere over the rainbow way 414 00:25:00,680 --> 00:25:04,879 Speaker 1: a pie bluebird is singing. But it's not here. It's there. 415 00:25:06,560 --> 00:25:09,359 Speaker 1: And here's what I want to tell you about both 416 00:25:10,640 --> 00:25:12,959 Speaker 1: the lie that joy comes on your arrive and the 417 00:25:13,000 --> 00:25:15,360 Speaker 1: lie that when joy comes when you get it right. 418 00:25:16,440 --> 00:25:24,840 Speaker 1: Both of these lies are something called idolatry and Idolatry 419 00:25:24,880 --> 00:25:27,120 Speaker 1: is something that in my own story, I didn't think 420 00:25:27,119 --> 00:25:30,520 Speaker 1: I had a problem with. Right, I didn't have any 421 00:25:30,720 --> 00:25:34,240 Speaker 1: idols in my house. I didn't look at the Buddhist 422 00:25:34,240 --> 00:25:38,080 Speaker 1: statue in the Chinese restaurant. There was nothing I was 423 00:25:38,200 --> 00:25:42,840 Speaker 1: bowing down to idolatry. Check, I don't have that problem. 424 00:25:43,520 --> 00:25:49,280 Speaker 1: But here's what's true. I had made an idol out 425 00:25:49,320 --> 00:25:54,560 Speaker 1: of marriage. I believed that once I got to that destination, 426 00:25:55,320 --> 00:25:59,399 Speaker 1: once I had that title of missus, oh, everything in 427 00:25:59,400 --> 00:26:01,000 Speaker 1: my life would be different. That was the kind of 428 00:26:01,080 --> 00:26:04,040 Speaker 1: salvation that I needed. Once I got my body a 429 00:26:04,080 --> 00:26:06,919 Speaker 1: certain way, that was the salvation I needed. Once I 430 00:26:06,960 --> 00:26:10,200 Speaker 1: got that title of mom, that was the salvation I needed. 431 00:26:10,400 --> 00:26:13,719 Speaker 1: I believed the God and Jesus answer of salvation for 432 00:26:13,840 --> 00:26:17,240 Speaker 1: later that I was saved through what Jesus did on 433 00:26:17,240 --> 00:26:19,200 Speaker 1: the cross, and that that would be super helpful when 434 00:26:19,200 --> 00:26:22,120 Speaker 1: I died. But for here on earth, what I really 435 00:26:22,200 --> 00:26:25,040 Speaker 1: needed to save me were some of these things that 436 00:26:25,080 --> 00:26:28,560 Speaker 1: were part of my Jesus plus gospel. I really needed 437 00:26:28,800 --> 00:26:33,040 Speaker 1: Jesus plus a better body, Jesus plus a husband, and 438 00:26:33,040 --> 00:26:37,680 Speaker 1: then a better husband, Jesus plus motherhood and then babies 439 00:26:37,720 --> 00:26:40,640 Speaker 1: that eventually were putty trained, and babies that eventually could 440 00:26:40,680 --> 00:26:42,880 Speaker 1: walk themselves, and babies that eventually could lock their own 441 00:26:42,960 --> 00:26:45,200 Speaker 1: car seats, and babies that eventually could go to school 442 00:26:45,240 --> 00:26:50,400 Speaker 1: all day long and beause it just never comes, because 443 00:26:50,480 --> 00:26:58,280 Speaker 1: that's how idols work. Idols are a block between us 444 00:26:58,480 --> 00:27:01,880 Speaker 1: and God. And whenever, however, we believe anything on this 445 00:27:01,920 --> 00:27:04,520 Speaker 1: earth could be responsible for our joy. Again, I'm not 446 00:27:04,560 --> 00:27:08,080 Speaker 1: saying happiness, I'm saying joy. Whenever we believe there's something 447 00:27:08,119 --> 00:27:11,040 Speaker 1: on this earth that we can create, chase, find a 448 00:27:11,160 --> 00:27:14,800 Speaker 1: tain that will bring us joy that only comes from Jesus. 449 00:27:15,160 --> 00:27:17,800 Speaker 1: We have created an idol. We are looking to something 450 00:27:17,840 --> 00:27:21,000 Speaker 1: that is not Jesus to save us, and it's going 451 00:27:21,080 --> 00:27:26,760 Speaker 1: to be a roadblock every single time. And that's grace. Really, 452 00:27:27,600 --> 00:27:30,640 Speaker 1: God's not going to let that idole satisfy. God's not 453 00:27:30,680 --> 00:27:33,240 Speaker 1: going to let that idol bring me joy. And that's 454 00:27:33,280 --> 00:27:35,040 Speaker 1: what he showed me. I was in my mid thirties 455 00:27:36,760 --> 00:27:39,040 Speaker 1: and my husband was listening to a sermon by a 456 00:27:39,040 --> 00:27:42,240 Speaker 1: pastor named Tim Keller, and he was talking about modern 457 00:27:42,320 --> 00:27:46,000 Speaker 1: day idolatry. And I heard the Lord whisperhither this is 458 00:27:46,000 --> 00:27:49,920 Speaker 1: your problem. You've made your body an idle and from 459 00:27:50,000 --> 00:27:52,679 Speaker 1: that changed everything in my relationship with Jesus. Right. I mean, 460 00:27:52,680 --> 00:27:55,600 Speaker 1: I'd read my bibble before, I pray before, but I 461 00:27:55,720 --> 00:27:58,480 Speaker 1: was praying and reading my Bible with a block, with 462 00:27:58,600 --> 00:28:03,520 Speaker 1: an idol standing in the way between me and really 463 00:28:03,880 --> 00:28:08,920 Speaker 1: having faith, trust and belief in Jesus. Oh. I mean 464 00:28:08,920 --> 00:28:12,280 Speaker 1: I said I had all of those things, but in reality, 465 00:28:12,359 --> 00:28:14,439 Speaker 1: what I was looking for to bring me joy was 466 00:28:14,560 --> 00:28:19,160 Speaker 1: not Jesus. It was weight loss, it was body change. 467 00:28:20,160 --> 00:28:22,480 Speaker 1: It was a certain feeling I was supposed to get 468 00:28:22,560 --> 00:28:24,720 Speaker 1: from my husband. It was a certain feeling I was 469 00:28:24,720 --> 00:28:28,879 Speaker 1: supposed to get from being a mom. And that's why 470 00:28:28,960 --> 00:28:32,520 Speaker 1: idols are so dangerous. Idols are what block our joy. 471 00:28:33,080 --> 00:28:34,480 Speaker 1: And so right now, I'm just going to ask you 472 00:28:34,520 --> 00:28:38,400 Speaker 1: to pause, just for a moment. In what ways have 473 00:28:38,480 --> 00:28:43,280 Speaker 1: you tried to chase joy through arrival? In what ways 474 00:28:43,320 --> 00:28:45,600 Speaker 1: have you tried to chase joy through getting it? All? Right? 475 00:28:46,800 --> 00:28:50,800 Speaker 1: Can you name any right now? Run? These could be 476 00:28:50,840 --> 00:28:54,480 Speaker 1: idols in your life. They are what might be blocking 477 00:28:54,520 --> 00:28:59,040 Speaker 1: your joy. And the great news is there's a cure 478 00:28:59,080 --> 00:29:02,600 Speaker 1: for this. Right if this is just like normal girl stuff, 479 00:29:02,640 --> 00:29:06,400 Speaker 1: like oh, everyone struggles with us, there's no cure, But 480 00:29:06,560 --> 00:29:09,920 Speaker 1: we can't recognize the idols that we've constructed in our lives. 481 00:29:09,920 --> 00:29:13,000 Speaker 1: There is a cure, and the cure's Jesus. For John 482 00:29:13,040 --> 00:29:15,320 Speaker 1: one nine says, if we confess our sins, he is 483 00:29:15,360 --> 00:29:17,640 Speaker 1: faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and 484 00:29:17,680 --> 00:29:21,320 Speaker 1: to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. There is a cure. 485 00:29:22,280 --> 00:29:25,560 Speaker 1: So think through, how have I tried to chase joy 486 00:29:25,560 --> 00:29:28,000 Speaker 1: through arrival? How have I tried to chase joy through 487 00:29:28,000 --> 00:29:30,440 Speaker 1: getting right? What have I believed would save me here 488 00:29:30,440 --> 00:29:34,000 Speaker 1: on this earth? And whatever those answers are, those things 489 00:29:34,040 --> 00:29:36,520 Speaker 1: are your idols, and you have the opportunity today to 490 00:29:36,520 --> 00:29:42,440 Speaker 1: confess them. And that's a turning point. Our repentance, our confession, 491 00:29:42,520 --> 00:29:45,720 Speaker 1: the forgiveness we receive from Christ is a turning point 492 00:29:45,760 --> 00:29:50,520 Speaker 1: that allows us to truly reconnect with Him and experience 493 00:29:50,560 --> 00:29:54,720 Speaker 1: his joy. You see, going back to the idol of arrival, 494 00:29:56,080 --> 00:29:58,800 Speaker 1: joy is not a place you arrive. I mean we 495 00:29:58,840 --> 00:30:01,600 Speaker 1: will arrive there some in the next life in heaven, 496 00:30:02,800 --> 00:30:06,960 Speaker 1: but joy for now is an arrival. It's the way 497 00:30:07,080 --> 00:30:11,440 Speaker 1: we walk with Jesus. Okay. The third and final lie 498 00:30:12,080 --> 00:30:14,880 Speaker 1: is joy comes when you get positive. I call this 499 00:30:15,040 --> 00:30:20,880 Speaker 1: Jedi mind trick joy. But this mean's tricky, right, because 500 00:30:20,920 --> 00:30:27,160 Speaker 1: there's nothing wrong with being more of an optimist right 501 00:30:27,280 --> 00:30:31,720 Speaker 1: of thinking things are gonna work out of believing the 502 00:30:31,760 --> 00:30:35,480 Speaker 1: best right. Some of that's biblical even, But there's a 503 00:30:35,640 --> 00:30:42,680 Speaker 1: big difference between positive thinking and faith saturated trust. And 504 00:30:42,720 --> 00:30:45,760 Speaker 1: I think sometimes, especially in our culture where man the 505 00:30:45,800 --> 00:30:49,080 Speaker 1: New Age movement is exploding, a lot of these New 506 00:30:49,080 --> 00:30:52,800 Speaker 1: Age mantras sound really close to scripture. They sound good. 507 00:30:52,880 --> 00:30:54,720 Speaker 1: You could press like on them and it may have 508 00:30:54,840 --> 00:30:58,240 Speaker 1: been boasted by a witch. Ugh, just say a true story. 509 00:31:00,040 --> 00:31:03,840 Speaker 1: Positive thinking is different than faith saturated trust. You see, 510 00:31:03,880 --> 00:31:07,360 Speaker 1: positive thinking confuses the hope we have in and through 511 00:31:07,440 --> 00:31:14,360 Speaker 1: Christ only with optimism, but just thinking good thoughts. Positive 512 00:31:14,440 --> 00:31:18,560 Speaker 1: thinking is really about self confidence versus God confidence. Because 513 00:31:18,640 --> 00:31:21,360 Speaker 1: positive thinking, if that's what's gonna work for me, then 514 00:31:21,400 --> 00:31:24,000 Speaker 1: I am reliant on myself to train my brain to 515 00:31:24,040 --> 00:31:28,640 Speaker 1: think good thoughts. And that's not having confidence that God 516 00:31:28,720 --> 00:31:32,480 Speaker 1: is sovereign and has a good plan and is in charge. 517 00:31:33,160 --> 00:31:35,440 Speaker 1: That's me having confidence in the fact that maybe I 518 00:31:35,480 --> 00:31:39,240 Speaker 1: can make things better by thinking good thoughts to get them. 519 00:31:39,280 --> 00:31:45,280 Speaker 1: Positive thinking minimizes the reality of suffering, right ah Man, 520 00:31:45,600 --> 00:31:49,240 Speaker 1: Jesus said, in this world you will have trouble. There 521 00:31:49,360 --> 00:31:53,120 Speaker 1: is suffering that we will all have to endure, unfortunately, 522 00:31:53,240 --> 00:31:57,600 Speaker 1: just as part of living in this broken, fallen world. 523 00:31:58,560 --> 00:32:01,440 Speaker 1: And to be like, nope, everything he's great, everything's great, 524 00:32:01,720 --> 00:32:05,520 Speaker 1: everything's great, all through your trials. Man is to deny 525 00:32:05,760 --> 00:32:08,840 Speaker 1: the pain and the heart and the heart Jesus doesn't 526 00:32:08,840 --> 00:32:11,360 Speaker 1: ask us to deny them. He asks us to bring 527 00:32:11,400 --> 00:32:15,200 Speaker 1: it to him. He wants to be our comforter. He 528 00:32:15,240 --> 00:32:17,840 Speaker 1: wants to walk with us through our suffering. He doesn't 529 00:32:17,840 --> 00:32:22,000 Speaker 1: want us to deny or minimize it. Positive thinking puts 530 00:32:22,000 --> 00:32:26,800 Speaker 1: a burden on the believer to sustain their joy just 531 00:32:26,840 --> 00:32:30,560 Speaker 1: by keeping a certain mindset and friend It's never been 532 00:32:30,720 --> 00:32:34,719 Speaker 1: our responsibility to sustain our joy. Right, our joy is 533 00:32:34,800 --> 00:32:37,400 Speaker 1: found in Jesus. He is the only one who can 534 00:32:37,440 --> 00:32:40,920 Speaker 1: sustain it. And the final thought here is the Bible 535 00:32:41,000 --> 00:32:43,880 Speaker 1: teaches us that joy is the fruit of the spirit. 536 00:32:44,400 --> 00:32:47,560 Speaker 1: Joy is not a technique. It's not a Jedi mind trick. 537 00:32:48,240 --> 00:32:51,600 Speaker 1: It's a fruit that blooms, blossoms and develops in us 538 00:32:52,040 --> 00:32:55,800 Speaker 1: as we are rooted and grounded in Him. So joy 539 00:32:55,800 --> 00:32:58,000 Speaker 1: comes when you get positive. I think that has a 540 00:32:58,040 --> 00:33:01,320 Speaker 1: theme song too. It's an old song. It goes you've 541 00:33:01,360 --> 00:33:06,440 Speaker 1: got to accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative, latch on 542 00:33:06,520 --> 00:33:08,960 Speaker 1: to the affirmative, don't mess with mister in between. Perhaps 543 00:33:09,000 --> 00:33:11,360 Speaker 1: you've heard that song, and that song is all about 544 00:33:11,520 --> 00:33:15,640 Speaker 1: just focus on what's good forget about what's bad. And 545 00:33:15,680 --> 00:33:18,600 Speaker 1: as we've already discussed, I don't think that's what's required 546 00:33:18,640 --> 00:33:25,400 Speaker 1: of us as believers. True joy doesn't deny pain, It 547 00:33:25,560 --> 00:33:29,880 Speaker 1: at lasts our pain. So what positive thinking says, change 548 00:33:29,880 --> 00:33:33,680 Speaker 1: your thoughts and you'll feel better, true joy says you 549 00:33:33,760 --> 00:33:38,680 Speaker 1: are held even when your thoughts fall apart. I think 550 00:33:38,720 --> 00:33:43,040 Speaker 1: the biggest struggle we have in chasing just over yonder 551 00:33:43,160 --> 00:33:48,040 Speaker 1: joy is that we tend to confuse the good gifts 552 00:33:48,040 --> 00:33:53,800 Speaker 1: of God with God, the good gift giverver. In fact, 553 00:33:53,840 --> 00:33:56,840 Speaker 1: that's what all of our idols are. Our idols are 554 00:33:56,880 --> 00:34:02,240 Speaker 1: these good gifts of God we put in a wrong place. Right. 555 00:34:02,280 --> 00:34:05,360 Speaker 1: Our marriages are good. If you're a mom, that's good. 556 00:34:06,280 --> 00:34:08,840 Speaker 1: If you want to pursue a health goal, there's nothing 557 00:34:08,840 --> 00:34:11,960 Speaker 1: wrong with that. That could be good. But the problem 558 00:34:12,080 --> 00:34:14,520 Speaker 1: is when we take these good things, these good gifts 559 00:34:14,640 --> 00:34:17,640 Speaker 1: from Him, like our bodies, which are good gifts to Steward, 560 00:34:18,200 --> 00:34:21,080 Speaker 1: and we put them in a place where we believe 561 00:34:21,120 --> 00:34:23,120 Speaker 1: they will bring us the joy that only he does. 562 00:34:24,880 --> 00:34:29,200 Speaker 1: That's when we create an idol. Here's an illustration to 563 00:34:29,480 --> 00:34:32,560 Speaker 1: kind of help drive this point home. There once was 564 00:34:32,600 --> 00:34:37,440 Speaker 1: a one who really wanted to be engaged. She could 565 00:34:37,560 --> 00:34:41,120 Speaker 1: not wait to be engaged. It was going to be 566 00:34:41,160 --> 00:34:44,200 Speaker 1: so fabulous when she was engaged, because she was gonna 567 00:34:44,239 --> 00:34:46,040 Speaker 1: have the ring and be able to plan the wedding, 568 00:34:46,080 --> 00:34:47,920 Speaker 1: and it was just, oh, it's gonna be wonderful. So 569 00:34:47,960 --> 00:34:52,319 Speaker 1: finally the day comes, her lovely, lovely boyfriend buys her 570 00:34:52,320 --> 00:34:57,840 Speaker 1: a beautiful ring. He proposes just the right way, and 571 00:34:57,960 --> 00:35:02,120 Speaker 1: she gets that ring. She said yes, and she can't 572 00:35:02,160 --> 00:35:05,040 Speaker 1: stop staring at the ring. In fact, she doesn't even 573 00:35:05,080 --> 00:35:08,080 Speaker 1: look up at the boyfriend. She just says, yes, thank you, 574 00:35:08,239 --> 00:35:12,840 Speaker 1: I'm engaged. I'm so happy, I'm finally engaged. And she 575 00:35:12,880 --> 00:35:16,520 Speaker 1: starts obsessing over the ring. She sits around her home 576 00:35:16,719 --> 00:35:21,040 Speaker 1: staring at the ring. She polishes the ring. She's talking 577 00:35:21,040 --> 00:35:25,440 Speaker 1: to all of her friends about the ring. She can't 578 00:35:25,520 --> 00:35:30,360 Speaker 1: take calls from her now fiance because she's too busy 579 00:35:31,000 --> 00:35:33,080 Speaker 1: making sure that her ring is just perfect. She's taking 580 00:35:33,120 --> 00:35:34,920 Speaker 1: pictures of the ring, taking videos of the ring for 581 00:35:35,000 --> 00:35:40,879 Speaker 1: Instagram boyfriend fiance stops by, Hey, can we go do something? Sorry, 582 00:35:40,920 --> 00:35:44,560 Speaker 1: you don't have time. I need to think more about 583 00:35:44,560 --> 00:35:48,200 Speaker 1: my ring and focus more on my ring. I mean, 584 00:35:48,200 --> 00:35:53,560 Speaker 1: this is ridiculous, right And yet, and yet, Friend, do 585 00:35:53,680 --> 00:35:56,799 Speaker 1: we do this with God? When he gives us a 586 00:35:56,840 --> 00:36:01,120 Speaker 1: good gift? Do we obsess focus on put all of 587 00:36:01,160 --> 00:36:06,520 Speaker 1: our hopes and dreams and energy into the gift instead 588 00:36:06,520 --> 00:36:10,680 Speaker 1: of acknowledging the giver? Oh, I've done it? Have you 589 00:36:10,719 --> 00:36:14,040 Speaker 1: done it too? You see? The truth is true joy. 590 00:36:14,680 --> 00:36:18,359 Speaker 1: It's not far away, It's as close as the giver 591 00:36:18,560 --> 00:36:22,080 Speaker 1: is to us. It's just true joy can't be spelled 592 00:36:22,200 --> 00:36:25,200 Speaker 1: just over beyond her. True joy is found in our 593 00:36:25,239 --> 00:36:30,080 Speaker 1: closeness to Jesus. And that block to our joy. What 594 00:36:30,200 --> 00:36:33,000 Speaker 1: blocks our joy is anything we've chased, pursuit or trusted 595 00:36:33,040 --> 00:36:36,520 Speaker 1: in that isn't Him. And so how do we find 596 00:36:36,560 --> 00:36:38,880 Speaker 1: true joy? Well, I've got three a's for you. We 597 00:36:38,920 --> 00:36:46,040 Speaker 1: find true joy through aligning, abiding, and anchoring. True joy 598 00:36:46,080 --> 00:36:51,200 Speaker 1: comes when you align, abide, and anchor. And if we 599 00:36:51,239 --> 00:36:54,160 Speaker 1: want to be unblocked from feeling joy, if we want 600 00:36:54,200 --> 00:36:56,200 Speaker 1: that box of joy that we've been trying to unlock, 601 00:36:56,239 --> 00:36:58,160 Speaker 1: beginning at all right. If we want that to unlock 602 00:36:58,239 --> 00:37:00,759 Speaker 1: for us, then these are the three things we must 603 00:37:00,800 --> 00:37:04,080 Speaker 1: focus on. Aligne, abide, and anchor. So let's start with 604 00:37:04,120 --> 00:37:08,160 Speaker 1: the line. We have to align with the giver. Joy 605 00:37:08,239 --> 00:37:13,520 Speaker 1: comes when we order our lives rightly, when we're not 606 00:37:13,680 --> 00:37:17,320 Speaker 1: placing the gift above the giver. And so my question 607 00:37:17,400 --> 00:37:19,680 Speaker 1: for you today is what has first place in your life? 608 00:37:21,120 --> 00:37:23,400 Speaker 1: You know, I like to talk about the treasure principle 609 00:37:23,480 --> 00:37:27,160 Speaker 1: from the Book of Matthew, where Jesus says, you know 610 00:37:27,200 --> 00:37:30,440 Speaker 1: where your heart is, excuse me, where your money is, 611 00:37:30,520 --> 00:37:32,600 Speaker 1: your heart will be. Also, where your treasure is, your 612 00:37:32,600 --> 00:37:36,360 Speaker 1: heart will be also. And I think this supplies to 613 00:37:36,520 --> 00:37:39,280 Speaker 1: all the different idols we can create in our lives. 614 00:37:40,120 --> 00:37:44,719 Speaker 1: Right whatever you make your treasure is where your heart 615 00:37:44,760 --> 00:37:49,200 Speaker 1: will be. And so if your treasure isn't Jesus, if 616 00:37:49,239 --> 00:37:53,439 Speaker 1: your treasure is in your relationship, in your role as 617 00:37:53,480 --> 00:37:56,800 Speaker 1: a mom, and your job at work and your title 618 00:37:56,920 --> 00:38:00,759 Speaker 1: at work, in your bank account, in your body and 619 00:38:00,800 --> 00:38:02,839 Speaker 1: the way you look. If these things have become your 620 00:38:02,960 --> 00:38:07,640 Speaker 1: treasure and you don't feel joy, that's why you've got 621 00:38:07,640 --> 00:38:11,080 Speaker 1: the wrong treasure. And if you're wondering, well, how do 622 00:38:11,160 --> 00:38:13,160 Speaker 1: I know if something's become my treasure. I mean, is 623 00:38:13,200 --> 00:38:15,440 Speaker 1: there a test for that? There is a test for that. 624 00:38:15,560 --> 00:38:19,239 Speaker 1: I'm so glad you asked. The test is this. Look 625 00:38:19,239 --> 00:38:21,880 Speaker 1: at your bank account and look at your time. And 626 00:38:21,920 --> 00:38:24,200 Speaker 1: when I say time, I don't just mean like blocked 627 00:38:24,280 --> 00:38:27,200 Speaker 1: time on your calendar. I mean what do you spend 628 00:38:27,239 --> 00:38:31,160 Speaker 1: time thinking about. There's a great quote by Sir Thomas Chalmers. 629 00:38:31,160 --> 00:38:32,640 Speaker 1: I think it is and it says, what you think 630 00:38:32,680 --> 00:38:35,399 Speaker 1: about in your solitude is your religion. I'm got say 631 00:38:35,400 --> 00:38:37,399 Speaker 1: it one more time. Well, you think about in your 632 00:38:37,480 --> 00:38:43,960 Speaker 1: solitude when you're alone, that's your true religion. So fund 633 00:38:43,960 --> 00:38:45,840 Speaker 1: if you're spending all your time thinking about your body, 634 00:38:46,719 --> 00:38:48,560 Speaker 1: if you're spending all your time thinking about the fact 635 00:38:48,560 --> 00:38:51,160 Speaker 1: that you're wish your marriage was better or that you're 636 00:38:51,200 --> 00:38:55,839 Speaker 1: not married, spend all your time thinking about your kids 637 00:38:55,880 --> 00:38:57,600 Speaker 1: and all the problems and what they're doing and how 638 00:38:57,600 --> 00:39:00,319 Speaker 1: they could be better, and how they're accomplished, and start 639 00:39:00,320 --> 00:39:05,439 Speaker 1: making you feel happy. For these things are not sufficient treasures, right. 640 00:39:05,520 --> 00:39:07,440 Speaker 1: They will not bring you joy. They'll bring you moments 641 00:39:07,440 --> 00:39:10,000 Speaker 1: of happiness, but they will not bring you joy. Jesus 642 00:39:10,320 --> 00:39:16,439 Speaker 1: is the joy. He must be your treasure. We want 643 00:39:16,440 --> 00:39:20,239 Speaker 1: to align. We can look at John fifteen ten through 644 00:39:20,239 --> 00:39:24,040 Speaker 1: eleven for some more clues about what Jesus means about aligning. 645 00:39:24,400 --> 00:39:28,560 Speaker 1: It reads like this, if you keep my commandments, which 646 00:39:28,560 --> 00:39:31,560 Speaker 1: one all of them, friend, not the ones you choose 647 00:39:31,600 --> 00:39:35,919 Speaker 1: to keep. If you keep my commandments, you will abide 648 00:39:36,200 --> 00:39:39,080 Speaker 1: in my love, just as I have kept my father's 649 00:39:39,080 --> 00:39:41,880 Speaker 1: commandments and abide in his love. These things I have 650 00:39:41,920 --> 00:39:45,680 Speaker 1: spoken to you that my joy may be in you, 651 00:39:46,920 --> 00:39:51,080 Speaker 1: and that your joy may be full. Joy comes from 652 00:39:51,160 --> 00:39:54,080 Speaker 1: living how God asks us to live, and that means 653 00:39:54,200 --> 00:39:58,440 Speaker 1: no idols. It also means loving Him, loving others, and 654 00:39:58,480 --> 00:40:01,040 Speaker 1: a host of other commandments. Is not a long list, friends. 655 00:40:01,400 --> 00:40:03,440 Speaker 1: In fact, I think most of us make longer lists 656 00:40:03,440 --> 00:40:05,880 Speaker 1: of what we need for our own joy and happiness 657 00:40:05,880 --> 00:40:11,440 Speaker 1: than Jesus ever did. But we must keep his commands. 658 00:40:11,560 --> 00:40:14,840 Speaker 1: We must do and live as He asks us to 659 00:40:14,920 --> 00:40:19,160 Speaker 1: do and live, and then we will align with him 660 00:40:19,280 --> 00:40:22,520 Speaker 1: and find joy. The second way to find joy is abide. 661 00:40:22,719 --> 00:40:25,719 Speaker 1: We abide with a giver. Psalm sixteen eleven says in 662 00:40:25,760 --> 00:40:31,040 Speaker 1: your presence there is fullness of joy. Joy comes not 663 00:40:31,320 --> 00:40:34,399 Speaker 1: from getting the thing, doing the thing, arriving at the thing. 664 00:40:34,880 --> 00:40:39,000 Speaker 1: Joy comes from closeness. To God. Instead of focusing on 665 00:40:39,040 --> 00:40:44,239 Speaker 1: where you're going, focus on who is with you. That's 666 00:40:44,280 --> 00:40:47,560 Speaker 1: good news. Going into something hard, going into something great, 667 00:40:47,640 --> 00:40:53,800 Speaker 1: Who is with you? Abide with him. The final a 668 00:40:53,840 --> 00:40:59,480 Speaker 1: is anchor, anchor yourself to the giver. We rejoice in 669 00:40:59,640 --> 00:41:03,680 Speaker 1: hope of the glory of God Romans five two. Biblical 670 00:41:03,840 --> 00:41:09,080 Speaker 1: joy is sustained by an eternal perspective. It's not the 671 00:41:09,120 --> 00:41:15,040 Speaker 1: power of positivity. How it's knowing that even if everything 672 00:41:15,120 --> 00:41:18,520 Speaker 1: in this life kind of sucks now or for a 673 00:41:18,560 --> 00:41:22,880 Speaker 1: long time, man, this isn't my final hope. This isn't 674 00:41:23,239 --> 00:41:29,440 Speaker 1: the end game. I have eternity with Jesus. This life 675 00:41:29,480 --> 00:41:32,799 Speaker 1: is just a blip, and so I don't have to 676 00:41:33,280 --> 00:41:37,040 Speaker 1: Jedi mind trick my way into finding joy. I can 677 00:41:37,120 --> 00:41:40,880 Speaker 1: just lean into him and rest in his truth that 678 00:41:40,960 --> 00:41:43,400 Speaker 1: He's got me, He's never gonna leave me or forsake me, 679 00:41:44,280 --> 00:41:48,719 Speaker 1: and even if things are hard, he is still there. Friend. 680 00:41:48,760 --> 00:41:52,920 Speaker 1: We must believe that we cannot find true joy outside 681 00:41:52,960 --> 00:41:55,560 Speaker 1: of Jesus. It's just not possible. Yep. We can find 682 00:41:55,560 --> 00:41:58,600 Speaker 1: some happiness, Yep, we can find some personal fulfillment, but 683 00:41:58,680 --> 00:42:01,960 Speaker 1: those things are always subject to change, and true joy 684 00:42:02,560 --> 00:42:05,960 Speaker 1: is not. So we talked about spelling joy wrong, that 685 00:42:06,040 --> 00:42:10,440 Speaker 1: real joy is not spelled joh, why just over yonder? 686 00:42:11,400 --> 00:42:14,480 Speaker 1: How is true joy spelled? Well, there's a number of 687 00:42:14,520 --> 00:42:18,239 Speaker 1: options here, Okay. I grew up singing a song in 688 00:42:18,280 --> 00:42:21,080 Speaker 1: Sunday School called Jesus and others and you what a 689 00:42:21,080 --> 00:42:24,560 Speaker 1: wonderful way to spell joy? Which is a great way 690 00:42:24,600 --> 00:42:27,439 Speaker 1: to spell joy? Right, Matthew tells us that like these 691 00:42:27,440 --> 00:42:30,000 Speaker 1: are the two great commands. Loves Lordia God, with all 692 00:42:30,000 --> 00:42:32,879 Speaker 1: your heart, soul, mind, love your neighbor as yourself. Right, 693 00:42:33,000 --> 00:42:35,680 Speaker 1: Jesus others you. That's a great way to spell joy. 694 00:42:36,040 --> 00:42:39,080 Speaker 1: Or Jesus over you. What do I want? Oh? What 695 00:42:39,239 --> 00:42:41,240 Speaker 1: is Jesus want? That's a great way to spell joy. 696 00:42:41,719 --> 00:42:44,520 Speaker 1: But I think the best way to spell joy is Jesus. 697 00:42:44,960 --> 00:42:47,640 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, Okay, that one might be a little corny. 698 00:42:47,760 --> 00:42:52,560 Speaker 1: I get it. But he must increase so I can decrease. 699 00:42:52,760 --> 00:42:57,520 Speaker 1: That's what John three point thirty says. Right, If I 700 00:42:57,719 --> 00:43:01,960 Speaker 1: make much of him instead of much of his gifts, 701 00:43:02,640 --> 00:43:05,520 Speaker 1: instead of much of my plans, instead of much of myself, 702 00:43:06,120 --> 00:43:11,040 Speaker 1: that is the surefire way that I will find joy. 703 00:43:11,400 --> 00:43:14,160 Speaker 1: Tim Keller puts it like this, If we truly believe 704 00:43:14,160 --> 00:43:16,880 Speaker 1: in the Trinity. If we believe that God, Jesus all 705 00:43:16,920 --> 00:43:18,839 Speaker 1: the Spirit, if we believe that they are who they 706 00:43:18,880 --> 00:43:24,080 Speaker 1: say they are, then here's the result. Your absolute highest purpose, 707 00:43:25,160 --> 00:43:28,880 Speaker 1: your meaning, and the only way you'll ever be happy 708 00:43:29,719 --> 00:43:35,160 Speaker 1: is if you are glorifying God above all other things. 709 00:43:36,080 --> 00:43:41,120 Speaker 1: We live for God's glory. Joy and delight are the 710 00:43:41,280 --> 00:43:45,440 Speaker 1: natural byproduct. I don't have to live to arrive. I 711 00:43:45,480 --> 00:43:48,120 Speaker 1: don't have to live to get it all right. I 712 00:43:48,120 --> 00:43:52,160 Speaker 1: don't have to just be positive. Friend. He is where 713 00:43:52,280 --> 00:43:56,720 Speaker 1: the joy and delight are found. And that's good news 714 00:43:56,760 --> 00:44:02,000 Speaker 1: because it takes the pressure off. It's all up to 715 00:44:02,160 --> 00:44:08,880 Speaker 1: him and I just have to abide a line and anchor. Friend. 716 00:44:09,400 --> 00:44:11,879 Speaker 1: I hope this has encouraged you today. I hope if 717 00:44:11,920 --> 00:44:16,440 Speaker 1: you've struggled like I have to find joy, that you 718 00:44:16,880 --> 00:44:19,359 Speaker 1: will focus on those three a's today. Pause and think 719 00:44:19,360 --> 00:44:22,680 Speaker 1: about what might be blocking your joy. In what ways 720 00:44:22,719 --> 00:44:27,280 Speaker 1: are you chasing pursuing joy that aren't just pursuing Jesus. 721 00:44:28,719 --> 00:44:32,200 Speaker 1: Confess those to him. He will be faithful to forgive them, 722 00:44:33,200 --> 00:44:37,600 Speaker 1: and then rest in his word, in his truth that 723 00:44:37,680 --> 00:44:41,480 Speaker 1: he's faithful, He's got you, and that he is where 724 00:44:41,520 --> 00:44:44,080 Speaker 1: the joy is found. Hey, thanks, for listening today. I 725 00:44:44,120 --> 00:44:46,920 Speaker 1: hope something today has helped you stop comparing and start living. 726 00:44:47,440 --> 00:44:50,239 Speaker 1: Bye bye. They Compared To podcast is proud to be 727 00:44:50,280 --> 00:44:52,839 Speaker 1: part of the Life Audio Podcast Network. For my great 728 00:44:52,920 --> 00:45:02,799 Speaker 1: Christian podcast, I Hope you go to life audio dot com.