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Make a Difference

DAY 106 OF 365

So That My Joy May Be In You

- Pastor Erin Ventura

“These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” John 15:11 (ESV)

Joy is truly one of the most valuable things on earth. It has been scientifically proven that people who experience joy more often are healthier and live longer. Joy is not happiness. Happiness comes and goes with the good times and bad, but joy is eternal. Even more than that, joy is only acquired in one way: through God. By living your life in tandem with God and trusting in Him, you receive a sense of joy and peace that impacts many other areas of your life. While this is great for the individual, it is also an excellent way to make a meaningful impact on those around us.

But the thing is, if we want joy, we must know God. That makes sense logically. After all, it is a fruit of the Spirit. The fruit is what comes from a harvest. This harvest of Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-Control all come from the act, the ‘labor’ of living with God—more specifically, the Holy Spirit. You will have joy when you genuinely believe in the Holy Spirit and invite Him into your life. This is the same Spirit of our living God who conquered death. The God who has defeated nations and allows us to live for eternity with Him. It’s easier to have complete joy, not just partial or temporary happiness. But as this verse says, our joy is made whole. We can walk through life's circumstances joyfully, knowing our eternity is set.

And the thing about joy, peace, and the other fruit of the Spirit is that these are gifts you can offer to people, even momentarily. In the same way that stress or fear is contagious, joy is, too. You can be that person for other people. The person who notices when others are stressed and encourages them. The person who sees when others are struggling and prays for them. The person who walks with joy into every single room they enter and changes the atmosphere. This is a great way to show Jesus to people. This is a great way to make a difference.

Make a Difference:

I challenge you today to ask God to reveal whether you experience eternal joy or momentary happiness. If you’re just happy, pray that the Holy Spirit will continue to gift you with these fruits so that you may help bring them into others' lives as well.

As You Read:

This week, we will read Psalm 16 and Psalm 63, which tell us that our soul rejoices when we connect with Him. As we connect with Jesus this week, let His joy flow out of you!

Day 105Day 107

About this Plan

Make a Difference

We all want to make an impact on the lives of people around us. We want our lives to make a difference in our friends, family, co-workers, neighborhoods, and cities. This is done through the transformative work of Jesus Christ. The Pastors of Peoples Church hope that our weekly devotionals provide insights, reflections, and thought-provoking questions and challenges as we go on this chronological journey through the Bible.

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We would like to thank Peoples Church for providing this plan. For more information, please visit: https://www.peopleschurch.org/