Topic: To Find Joy, Give Your Life Away [RICK WARREN Devotional 19 November 2019]

Click HERE for Previous Devotionals

BY RICK WARREN — NOVEMBER 19, 2019136

“God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another” (1 Peter 4:10 NLT).You’ll never find happiness in pleasure, power, possessions, positions, or prestige.

You also won’t find it in success, sex, salary, or status. Those are all temporary.

Permanent, ongoing happiness only comes when you give your life away in service. God wired you to give your life away. Why?

Because God wants you to be like him.

Most people don’t know this, but there are secrets to joy. And you can find both of these secret pathways to joy through service.

Here’s the way to find joy:

First, get your mind off of yourself. The more you focus on yourself, the more miserable you will become. To find real joy, you must shift from an inward focus—“It’s all about me”—to an outward focus—“It’s all about God and serving others.”

Of course, this is countercultural. Our society screams that it’s all about you. But the Bible says, “I will rejoice even if I lose my life, pouring it out like a liquid offering to God, just like your faithful service is an offering to God. And I want all of you to share that joy” (Philippians 2:17 NLT).

The truth is, the most helpful people are the happiest people.

Second, use your gifts to help others. It feels good to use your gifts to help others.

The Bible says, “God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another” (1 Peter 4:10 NLT).
God blesses you so you can bless others. When you bless others, God will bless you.

If you’re struggling through a lack of joy in your life, try serving people in your community and in your church.

Then watch God change your perspective.

• Name some specific ways God has brought you joy as you’ve served others.
• How does our society make it difficult to shift our focus off of ourselves? Why is it helpful to identify those cultural realities?
• In today’s devotional, Pastor Rick said, “The most helpful people are the happiest people.” When have you seen this to be true?

Give hope, prayer, and encouragement below. Post a comment & talk about it.