This week I want to talk about how to change your false beliefs and find your joy. This is actually the first of three parts because when I started writing, it got a bit long.
So, what kind of false beliefs am I talking about and what does that have to do with being able to find your joy?
What Do We Mean?
Well, a couple of weeks ago I talked about what God says about me in the Bible.
In this post, I talked about a lot of the lies and false beliefs we have about ourselves. Many of which are based on how we see ourselves based on external factors such as how we look, which church we belong to, trying to be “perfect”, political affiliation, our weight, and much more.
This week, I want to go a little further and talk about how we define certain key concepts such as success, significance, fulfillment and more.
These words are thrown around all the time.
“I want to be successful.”
“I want to feel significant and be fulfilled.”
But, what do we actually mean when we say them?
What is success?
What do we mean by wanting to be significant?
How can you find your joy?
How can we be successful if we don’t know how we are defining it?
Let’s explore:
8 Key Concepts With False Beliefs
There are actually 8 key concepts that I want to re-define. How we define them makes a big difference in how we live our lives and whether we find our joy.
- SUCCESS
- SIGNIFICANCE
- FULFILLMENT
- SATISFACTION
- HAPPINESS
- FUN
- SECURITY
- PEACE
This week is part 1, I will go over SUCCESS and SIGNIFICANCE, in two weeks, I will tackle FULFILLMENT, SATISFACTION and HAPPINESS, and part 3 will cover FUN, SECURITY and PEACE.
SUCCESS
When we talk about success, we are usually talking about being successful in our careers, having a lot of money, and/or, perhaps the “perfect” body.
Maybe your idea of success is being married with a couple of kids, or about your status in the community in which you live.
None of these things are bad. We all want them.
However, if our definition of success is based on how well we achieve these things or how many of these things we achieve, then will we ever really be satisfied?
I mean, how much career success do we want?
Will we do it to the exclusion of everything else?
How much money is enough?
What about status?
Are you more concerned about what other people think about you or what God thinks about you?
What are your true motives?
True success is all about your CHARACTER. It is about WHO YOU ARE NOT WHAT YOU DO OR HOW MUCH YOU HAVE, ETC.
It needs to be based on the Bible not on external factors like the ones mentioned above (the same is true for the other 7 key concepts as well).
As a Christian, we are supposed to grow in the Fruit of the Spirit as we mature in Christ throughout our lives. They speak to our character.
The Fruit of the Spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, meekness, faith, and self-control. You can read more about them here.
It says in 1 Corinthians 13 that without love, nothing else matters.
SIGNIFICANCE
When it comes to significance, we usually think about wanting to make a difference in the lives of our families, friends and the world. We want to leave a legacy and we want to make sure that our kids are provided for after we leave this world.
The reality is, though, the most important thing is what we do with Jesus.
In the end, the only thing of true ETERNAL SIGNIFICANCE that we carry into the next world is our souls.
If we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we get to spend an eternity in heaven with God. Without Him, there is the other alternative- hell.
So, how can we share that same love that Jesus shared with us?
One kind word or act at a time. It doesn’t have to be something grandiose. You don’t have to leave your families and be a missionary in some 3rd world country.
Jesus said in Matthew 25: 31- 46 “Whatever you did for the least of my brothers and sisters, you did for me…. and whatever you did not do for the least of these, you did not do for me.”
All you have to do, is listen to God and let Him direct you. Sounds simple right? It doesn’t have to be hard. Although, we often make it harder that it really is.
We have a myriad of opportunities all around us every day to share to share the love of God just by being WHO GOD CREATED US TO BE.
Share a kind word, play with your kids, volunteer somewhere. Just love God and love people. Put love first in all things.
I’ll get more into it in a later post. But Jesus said our purpose is twofold- to love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength and to love your neighbor as yourself.
That’s it.
None of us will do it perfectly. That isn’t possible, but God looks at our hearts. By sharing the love of God and the Good News, you will find true significance in your life.
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”
Mark 12: 30-31
Whatever you do and say for Christ in this life will last forever no matter how inconsequential it may seem to you.
Conclusion
Defining these key concepts for ourselves is how we can change our False Beliefs. Find your joy by taking some time to define these concepts for yourself.
There’s an expression that says “if you don’t know where you are going, any road will get you there.”
How do you know what will truly make you happy and fulfilled if you don’t define what you want first?
False beliefs get in the way of true happiness in our lives. It is possible to find your joy by putting God first. Start with defining these key concepts for yourselves.
So what is success and significance to you? How do you define it now?
Stay tuned next time for PART 2- where I’ll go over the key concepts of FULFILLMENT, SATISFACTION, and HAPPINESS.
If you really want to delve deeper into who God created you to be and find your joy, which only comes from the Lord, I highly recommend a book by Neil T. Anderson called Victory Over Darkness.
You can also check out my guided prayer journal: Discover Your True Identity: A 52 Week Guided Prayer Journal
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