To Be Joyful

“A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work. This, too, I see, is from the hand of God, for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment?” – Ecclesiastes 2:24-25

Pastor John Piper offers 15 Biblical things we must do to Fight for Joy:
1) Realize that authentic joy in God is a gift
2) Realize that joy must be fought for relentlessly
3) Resolve to attack all known sin in your life
4) Learn how to fight like a justified sinner
5) Realize that the battle is primarily a fight to see God for who he is
6) Meditate on the word of God day and night
7) Pray earnestly and continually for an inclination
8) Learn to preach to yourself rather than listen to yourself
9) Spend time with God-saturated people who help you see God and fight the fight
10) Be patient in the night of God’s seeming absence
11) Get the rest, exercise, and diet your body needs
12) Make a proper use of God’s revelation in nature
13) Read great books about God and biographies of great saints
14) Do the hard and loving thing for the sake of others—witness and mercy
15) Get a global vision for the cause of Christ and pour yourself out for the unreached.

Our lives belong to the Lord, and outside of Him, we will not find enjoyment.

“God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.” – John Piper

“I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” – Philippians 4:12-13