The Joy That I Feel

I’ve spent years studying and asking God how to reflect the love of Jesus. I would like to help create joy in the best way that I possibly, humanly, can. That’s the very most that I can do, but that’s the very least that Jesus does. He loves us so much more than even that.

If you read the Bible, it’s all about loving your neighbor.  It’s about helping those who do not have.  People think the Bible’s a bunch of made-up stories that make this life sound great.  But I think it’s Truth.  I think it all points to Jesus, and it all points to what he came for. Not only did he come to die on the cross for us and save us from our sin, but essentially He came to fulfill us.

And part of that fulfillment lies in helping the poor.  I really truly believe that Jesus left it up to us to help with these issues in the world, because essentially that’s what He came for.  He said, “I came to rescue. I came to take people out of bondage and create joy where there is no joy.”

God has given me an opportunity to create joy in an awesome way. He has given me the opportunity to help REACH out to suffering people, and give them every possible chance to experience joy. I’m trying to do my best, by creating environments of joy in places where people suffer. But even more than that, I’m trying to do my best by helping young people participate in that too.

To me, there’s no greater way to feel Jesus than by creating joy for others. And that’s why I feel good when I go to bed at night. I lay my head down on my pillow and I feel great. This is my “best life now” scenario. I don’t have suicidal thoughts, because I’m enjoying life so much.

You can do the same by partnering with me in REACH. You can go to bed saying, “I just helped someone get rescued from slavery today.” Or you can say, “I just helped a village of 1500 people get good drinking water.” You can say, “I just helped build an orphanage that will put shelter over kids’ heads and give them positive opportunities to learn and to be leaders.” Or you can say, “I just sent 200,000 meals to a village in Uganda and fed them for a year.” Whatever! There are so many opportunities, you know?

There are so many opportunities for us to create joy. Creating joy is reflecting the love of Jesus. And when you do it, and you know that you’ve done it, man, that’s just an awesome feeling. You’ll receive the love that He gives. You’ll feel it. Why? Because you’ve replicated it.

I love my God with all my heart, soul, and mind. Because I feel his smile on my life, I’ll do whatever it takes to reflect that on others. I want to feel that so much! And I can feel His smile when I do something good for somebody. I can feel His love reflected back to me. That’s heaven. That’s the joy that I feel.

Next week I’ll tell you about the nuts and bolts of the REACH program. See you Tuesday.