Love, Peace, and Joy

Love. Peace. Joy. These are things we all want in our lives. But do we really know what they are?

Love. We think of love in the terms of romantic love, love between friends, or even love for our pets. Are these all the same levels? How come we say, "I love God," then say "I love pizza," like they mean the same thing?

My question for you is, is the love that you feel toward God the same way you feel about pizza, or any other food you eat? Is it the same as you feel toward your spouse, your family, friends? Or is there a difference in the love you feel toward God?

There should be. We should have a love for God that surpasses every other type of love we feel. We should have a love and respect for God that surpasses every other type of love we feel.

Am I perfect at this? Do I feel the right type of love for God? No, I am not even close. But it is something that I am willing to work on, and thought may encourage you too.

Now, peace. Peace is something that is harder to feel. We all live crazy lives, and we go all the time, between this thing and that. We are always working. But do you feel peace in all of that?

Believe it or not, you can! God can give you a peace that can surpass all of your understanding. You can have the busiest day, and you can still feel peaceful in all of that.

Peace is not necessarily your surroundings, but how you feel inside.

I have had a peace that I could not understand before. God will, if you ask Him, help you to feel peace inside. It may not always come quickly... there may be a process... just trust Him, and trust the process.

Joy. Oh, joy! You see, joy is not the same thing as happiness. Happiness is based on your circumstances, feelings, and your thoughts. Joy does not depend on what is happening around you or how you are feeling. Joy overflows out of you, even in the worst of circumstances. Joy gives you the strength to find the best even in the worst of things.

Trust me, I am still looking for joy. Joy is not a feeling, it is more like a mindset. You have to decide, every day, that you are going to be joyful in everything. You have to pray for that too. God will help you find joy, just like He will help you find peace and love.

You ready to find it?

Get praying, get into His Word*, and start passionately seeking.

God won't let you down.

*If you do not own a Bible, biblegateway.com is a great resource to read from, and, it is free.