Cultivate Joyনমুনা

“I can’t get no . . . satisfaction.”

More than 50 years ago Mick Jagger and the Stones made this line famous . . . and more than 50 years later, we’re still singing right along with them. Not because it’s catchy, but because it’s true. Satisfaction is one of the most elusive things in life. How do we find it?

While the Bible doesn’t have much to say about satisfaction, it does have a great deal to say about joy. Joy is like satisfaction, only better. When you finish a good meal, you feel satisfied. When you watch a good movie or listen to a favorite song, you are satisfied. Sounds great, right? Except for the fact that a few hours later you are hungry again. Or the novelty of the new movie has worn off, or you’re tired of that song that’s been overplayed on the radio. The problem with satisfaction is that it is usually fleeting.

Not so with joy. Joy is built around something more permanent, more lasting, something that can’t be overplayed or consumed. It is built to last.

So what exactly is it? Over the next few days, we’ll talk more about what joy is and what it is not. More importantly, we’ll talk about how to have joy in your life so that, even when you can’t “get no satisfaction”, you can still have something deeper and more meaningful. If this sounds like something you’re interested in, keep reading. But before you do, check out the attached verses – they’ll lay the foundation for all that we’ll be talking about over the next few days.

A Prayer for Joy

Lord, in a world that provides only fleeting happiness and satisfaction, help me to look to you to find true lasting joy. Help me to understand what this looks like and how to have joy in my life. Thank you for being a God who brings joy, even amid life's challenging circumstances. Amen.