“I have told you this so my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.” John 15:11 NIV

There is a misunderstanding among most people and it keeps them from God. God just doesn’t want you to have a joyful life. It is his job to keep you in line and fill you with many good deeds to do that will keep you oppressed. The minute you become a Christian you must give up so much. Most people know they just can’t give up so much, too much to have a good life. This is not correct and not how it is. God has come to give you life, a full and rewarding life. In the presence of the Lord is fullness of joy. You can never find real joy without God. Inside everyone is a hunger that is just dying to be filled. People spend their entire lives trying to fill this need. They try love relationships, drugs, alcohol, money, fame, knowledge and so many things that can’t do it. They want love and acceptance, something only God can give. God loves everyone perfectly because he made them. He designed them just how they are and only God knows why they are who they are because he sees everything. He wants to help them. He has told us to cast our cares on him and he meant it. It is easy to give things to him and to ask forgiveness but we don’t always let him keep it. We continue to assume that we must help. It is up to us to prove we deserve forgiveness . No one deserves forgiveness. He does it only because he loves us. We are hopeless on our own and unable to do anything good. We can not do it without him. The joy of the Lord is our strength. He makes us strong. The more we know him, the more we understand. We need to know who he is and all that he has promised us. As we see that he does do what he says we are encouraged. I began the big search when I had my stroke. I had tried most things to make you happy but I wanted a full life. I had been raised in church so I started with what I knew. I also met a woman that talked about Jesus like he was a very close friend. I read everything i could get my hands on. I spent a lot of money at second hand stores buying books about God. I also joined a great church and got to know so many great people. As I began to read my Bible and spend time in prayer I began to feel that love and acceptance. The more time I spent with God and Christian friends the better I felt. I would sit outside and listen to praise music. One day I really listened to the words that meant so much. I learned so much about God through these songs. There is so much power in worship. I started living a life full of gratitude. God has done so much over my 60 years. I decided I am where I’m supposed to be and I was going to be joyful. I do everything with joy and enjoy being joyful. It is a choice you can make. You can choose to be grumpy too. I continually smile at others. I couldn’t do it on my own but he is always with me.

Do you want pure and perfect joy?