God's Joy With Us!Sample

Building Good Habits: Learning satisfaction

Learning to grow joy means we find what is satisfying. We avoid pursuits that leave us feeling empty. We actively seek out what really matters. Few things will rob our joy and peace like constantly searching for the activities, successes, accomplishments, behaviors and more that we believe will make us feel good. Searching for “the next best thing” leaves us feeling hollow and unsatisfied. The good news is we can be like Paul in Philippians 4 where we learn to be content no matter the circumstances. This will free us up to enjoy God’s gifts so we find hope and peace.

The Wisdom literature of the Bible teaches us a lot about satisfaction. The writer of Ecclesiastes 5 says, “The sleep of a laboring man is sweet, whether he eats little or much; but the abundance of the rich will not permit him to sleep” (12). God’s people can learn to be content and find satisfaction in life and relationships. We learn satisfaction when we practice focusing on the small and simple things in life. We take the time to reflect on the moments from our day that were meaningful. We scan our day and review our relational interactions to find what was special. During meals we can notice and appreciate the fellowship as well as the food. We take time from our busy schedules to pause and thank God for His goodness in our life. We ask, “What from my day was memorable? What stands out as a peaceful or joyful moment? What did I enjoy today? What surprised me today?” We end our days thanking God for being with us. The air in our lungs. The clothes on our backs. The food in our stomach. We learn to actively reflect on and even share the good things with other people.

Looking into Ecclesiastes, we find even more wisdom on the joy of living with satisfaction. We read, “Here is what I have seen: It is good and fitting for one to eat and drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labor in which he toils under the sun all the days of his life which God gives him; for it is his heritage (18).” Our portion and allotment is to savor the good things God has given us. We can find the good stuff even while we navigate the hard stuff. God’s people are meant to be the kind of people who thank their Creator for life. We practice gratitude on a regular basis. We remember appreciation moments and share these stories with our family and community. Sharing becomes the invitation for others to experience the joy.

Practice Exercise:

We reflect on times of joy to train our brain to feel some satisfaction and peace. Identify a favorite relational encounter from your year, then share your thoughts with that person (or someone else) including why this interaction was meaningful.

Go deeper into joy! Practice joy on a regular basis with the new 28 days to joy calendar. Read and practice exercises in The 4 Habits Of Joy-Filled People book. Visit the 4habits.org website to find more resources. Start your joy journey today!

Next steps to go deeper into joy! Visit 4habits.org to find helpful resources like the new 28 days to joy calendar and the book this study was based on, The 4 Habits Of Joy-Filled People .