Creating Joy For Someone Else Should Be Our Daily Mission

Creating Joy For Someone Else Should Be Our Daily Mission

Creating joy in someone’s life is a good thing. I think everyone should strive to do it more. 

creating joy for someone else should be our daily mission

Who knows? Maybe we’d have fewer wars in the world; we’d all get along better.

I’m not sure why we don’t intentionally create joy for others. Maybe it’s that we are so self-absorbed with our own stuff that we don’t think of others.

Personality is a factor in creating joy for others as well. Some people just don’t think of it. 

Me, however, I’m often thinking of it – especially with cashiers in whatever store I’m in. I do have to be in the right mood and not in a hurry, but I will often say something or do something that will make them smile.

I’ve also brought a smile to more than one waiter’s face, just by initiating a brief conversation about their day or about customers like me.

It’s pretty easy and it comes naturally to me. 

My wife, Lily, often just shakes her head and smiles, which for me also means I’ve created a little bit of joy for her.

The fact is you feel good when you can put a smile on someone’s face. It’s not much but it makes an impact. 

Recently my brother and I bought scooters. 

Ya, no, not the kind you power by pushing with your foot on the pavement. These are electric and can go 31 kilometres per hour. We got them to bomb around the little beach town we vacation at.

Our wives were not convinced we needed them but we said we could do short grocery runs with them and quickly scoot to the beach to see what the water was like and then report back.

… Sure, that wasn’t all that convincing but we got them anyway. And we’ve been ripping them everywhere, of course with the throttle wide open all the time. 

We’re starting to get a reputation in the park. 

My brother, John, was at the park office talking to the owner who told John he had had to tell a teenager to slow down on her scooter. 

One of the ladies in the office piped up, with a smile on her face, “Yes, I see a couple of grey haired men bombing around on them too!”

A few days later I rode my scooter down to the office. I could see two ladies behind the desk chuckling away. I knew the laughs were for me. So when I entered the office I said to them, “You have to get one. They’re pretty fun.” 

That comment just produced more giggles which worked into me creating joy in their lives.

As I left the office, one of the women said, “You and your brother are reliving your childhood, aren’t you?”

Big smiles all the way around. I was smiling and they both had big grins on their faces. 

Just another day of creating a little joy in someone’s life.

Here’s the thing: God is the source of all joy. If you’ve been touched by the deep joy that God gives, it should be in you to create for others. If you haven’t, I encourage you to seek God. His joy comes as a gift along with His acceptance, love and forgiveness. His joy will help you create joy in other people. 

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: How have you created joy for someone this week? Leave your comments and questions below.

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Turn Your Toil Into Joy 

 

This is a re-post of a blog I published on October 13, 2012. This week I found myself in a very similar situation and this blog spoke to me all over again. Enjoy.

Yesterday I had to work late on my sermon.  It was Friday; I like to be done my sermon by 5 pm but it was obvious that was not going to happen.

working lateEvery week that Sunday deadline stares me in the face; it’s always on my mind.  Some weeks things go well.  I do a little work on my message each day so that the task is broken down.  Monday mornings I make notes on the passage and from commentaries.  Tuesdays, I read supportive material and start to formulate the main idea of the passage.  Wednesdays, I try to create the outline with supportive scripture.  Thursdays, I write a draft of the message.

These days I’ve been dictating that draft. Its an amazing thing, I speak and my computer types the words.  My wife Lily always laughs when I dictate because the program gets some words wrong … like the other day, when I said, “Because the word…” and the program typed “Because Al Gore.”

I’m not sure what Al Gore had to do with my message – it had nothing to do with saving the planet’s environment!  On the other hand, my sermon did have to do with saving people ON the planet.

Fridays, I edit my message, prepare the media presentation and internet support.  This Friday by 4 pm, I had not even started to write the sermon.  It had been a very difficult week, with many interruptions and meetings.

At 4 pm I was tired, and frustrated because focus had been an issue all week for me.  I was not looking forward to spending all evening writing a sermon.  But as I was checking a reference for something, I ran into a quote that struck me.

The quote was from Samuel Chadwick a Methodist preacher. “The one concern of the devil is to keep Christians from praying.  He fears nothing from prayerless studies, prayerless work, and prayerless religion.  He laughs at our toil, mocks at our wisdom, but trembles when we pray.”

I had just finished praying when I read that, asking God to help me get my sermon done quickly.  But something struck me in that quote; it was the part about Satan laughing at our toil.  My sermon writing felt like toil to me right then.  I was not excited about writing it; I just wanted to be done.

After pondering the quote for a moment, I began to pray again.  This time I asked God to give me a passion for my writing.  I asked Him to fill me with excitement and enthusiasm for what I would put down.  I asked Him to give me joy in writing my message, no matter how long it took.  I asked Him to fill me up with the message He wanted me to bring to my congregation.  I prayed, “Lord, don’t let Satan laugh at the work I am doing.”

The Lord answered my prayer, keeping me focussed and moving ahead as I dictated. He filled my mind with thoughts and words and illustrations.  It was a pleasure to write that message, and I finished before 8 pm.

Here’s the thing:  When we are struggling with something, no matter what it is, it’s always a good thing to pray.  Keep in mind that Satan would love to keep you toiling and prayerless.  Do the opposite.  Pray and watch God make your work a joy.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What do you do when you find your task is more toil than joy?  Leave your comments below.

Turn Your Toil Into Joy

Yesterday I had to work late on my sermon.  It was Friday; I like to be done my sermon by 5 pm but it was obvious that was not going to happen.

Every week that Sunday deadline stares me in the face; it’s always on my mind.  Some weeks things go well.  I do a little work on my message each day so that the task is broken down.  Monday mornings I make notes on the passage and from commentaries.  Tuesdays, I read supportive material and start to formulate the main idea of the passage.  Wednesdays, I try to create the outline with supportive scripture.  Thursdays, I write a draft of the message.

These days I’ve been dictating that draft. Its an amazing thing, I speak and my computer types the words.  My wife Lily always laughs when I dictate because the program gets some words wrong … like the other day, when I said, “Because the word…” and the program typed “Because Al Gore.”

I’m not sure what Al Gore had to do with my message – it had nothing to do with saving the planet’s environment!  On the other hand, my sermon did have to do with saving people ON the planet.

Fridays, I edit my message, prepare the media presentation and internet support.  This Friday by 4 pm, I had not even started to write the sermon.  It had been a very difficult week, with many interruptions and meetings.

At 4 pm I was tired, and frustrated because focus had been an issue all week for me.  I was not looking forward to spending all evening writing a sermon.  But as I was checking a reference for something, I ran into a quote that struck me.

The quote was from Samuel Chadwick a Methodist preacher. “The one concern of the devil is to keep Christians from praying.  He fears nothing from prayerless studies, prayerless work, and prayerless religion.  He laughs at our toil, mocks at our wisdom, but trembles when we pray.”

I had just finished praying when I read that, asking God to help me get my sermon done quickly.  But something struck me in that quote; it was the part about Satan laughing at our toil.  My sermon writing felt like toil to me right then.  I was not excited about writing it; I just wanted to be done.

After pondering the quote for a moment, I began to pray again.  This time I asked God to give me a passion for my writing.  I asked Him to fill me with excitement and enthusiasm for what I would put down.  I asked Him to give me joy in writing my message, no matter how long it took.  I asked Him to fill me up with the message He wanted me to bring to my congregation.  I prayed, “Lord, don’t let Satan laugh at the work I am doing.”

The Lord answered my prayer, keeping me focussed and moving ahead as I dictated. He filled my mind with thoughts and words and illustrations.  It was a pleasure to write that message, and I finished before 8 pm.

Here’s the thing:  When we are struggling with something, no matter what it is, it’s always a good thing to pray.  Keep in mind that Satan would love to keep you toiling and prayerless.  Do the opposite.  Pray and watch God make your work a joy.

Until Next Time!

Pastor Paul

Question: What do you do when you find your task is more toil than joy?  Leave your comments below.