Perhaps one of the
most important questions we must ask ourselves daily is, “What gives me the most joy in my life?” I caution that this is very
different from, “What gives me the most pleasure in life?” What I am talking about
is pure, heart-fulfilling, overabounding joy. Joy that sustains us and leads us
to step outside of ourselves in order that we may strive to live for the lives
of others. I am a firm believer that God has instilled within each one of us a
desire to become the very best version of ourselves, and when we take a moment
to sit down and dream do we realize
how much life there is for us.
For some, like my
youngest sister, Melanie, when we close our eyes and imagine what will give us
the most joy in life we imagine ourselves in a classroom giving our love to
twenty-six bright-eyed second graders who await our every word – so impressionable,
so eager to learn. For others, our greatest dream may be to raise children – to
sacrifice day in and day out so that our kids grow up happy and well adjusted
with healthy perspective of the world. Still for others your dream might be to become a lawyer,
a businessman, a pilot, an investment banker. Your dream might be to roam the
world traveling wherever God leads you – no destination in mind but with a
heart that yearns to grow and understand many different ways of life and to
trust that God will use you no matter where you are.
It does not matter
what we do, but it does matter how we do it. Galatians 5:22-23 states, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy,
peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and
self-control. Against such things there is no law.” When we live in the
Spirit these gifts spring forth from our lives as wellsprings of life that
others may see our joy and seek to obtain that joy for themselves. A vocation lived out with passion and joy will not only inspire others to do the same, but will begin to heal the fragile souls of those lives you are touching with your work. A joyful smile goes a long way.
We are never
too old to do something new, something that will give us greater joy, something
that will help us to become the best version of ourselves. I urge you to take
time out of your busy day today to ask yourself the very
question, “What will give me the most joy
in life?” It may turn out that your dream is the very thing you find
yourself doing at this moment, but for many of us that will not be the case.
Ask God to help illuminate this dream for you, ask Him to guide you and make it
become a reality. When our dreams are aligned with God’s will for our lives,
this is when we will feel most alive, most joyful, and most fulfilled.
