Have you ever been around a leader who is the epitome of a wet blanket in the linen closet of life? Demotivating, draining, and even depressing? To explore a surefire way to avoid being a wet blanket kind of a leader by keeping your joy quotient high, read more…
I have to admit: in my current season of life, joy doesn’t come easily. Sometimes the weight of seeking to be a godly husband, a great dad, and a good steward of the work God has entrusted me through Kingdom Way just seems overwhelming and can suck my joy levels dry.
Your life/leadership roles might be different, but can you relate? You know how important it is to be joyful. It provides a sense of security and stability for others. It is contagious and attracts, instead of repels.
You know that the product of a joy-filled life and leadership (whether it’s in your family, your church, your business, or community) is a climate that is energizing, fun, that catapults kingdom productivity.
Further, you probably even know that joy is one of the fruits of the Spirit, evidence of HIs control in the life of a believer (Galatians 5:22-23). Joy provides an inner strength to continue leading well, even in turbulent and trying times.
Nehemiah was one who drew from that well of strength in his leadership. He also sought to encourage those who had the challenging task of rebuilding the walls around Jerusalem, in spite of the tremendous persecution they faced, to remember:
“The joy of the Lord is our strength.” (Nehemiah 8:10).
But how? We know these things, and yet, doesn’t joy still seem to evade us sometimes, or a lot of the time? To be sure, scripture offers us countless ways to keep our joy tanks full, but here is one way you might not have thought about:
YOU MUST TAKE RESPONSIBILITY TO SCHEDULE TIME FOR JOY!
Yes, I know. That sounds so sterile and lifeless, right? How can one PLAN for joy? Hear me out. If you are reading this Tipping Point, it’s likely that you believe God has called you to lead your business / ministry, your family, or those in your community for His glory and for the sake of advancing the kingdom of God through the gospel of Christ.
What is one thing as a leader you spend a fair amount of your time doing? You plan. You plan for board meetings. You prepare budgets, or maybe grocery lists, or all the places your kids need to be taken tomorrow. You devise communication pieces and marketing strategies. You execute these and other objectives with as much precision and excellence as possible.
In other words, you get serious about budgeting blocks of time for the things that matter most to you personally or professionally. Why not get serious about the business of joy with the same sense of importance and urgency? What got me thinking such crazy thoughts?
A Quote by C.S. Lewis
“Joy is the serious business of heaven.”
The joy of the Lord brings strength. The joy of the Lord yields praise to God. The joy of the Lord crafts work, home, and community cultures that are healthy, creative, productive and inviting. We all want this, right? None of us want to be a wet blanket kind of leader or a stoic, blah-kind of a parent.
Well, guess what? No one–not your employees, your team members, your spouse, parents or kids are going to produce it for you. It is your, and my, serious business. It is our responsibility.
A Recent Scheduled Time for Joy
A few weeks ago, at a peak time of busyness, I heard the Spirit’s whisper to play hooky from all that I felt needed to be done and spend a half day hiking with my twin 14 year old sons.
Unfortunately, one of them got sick and couldn’t go. Determined, my other son and I still went. I can’t tell you how glad I am that I followed through, despite the pull I felt to tackle my to do lists.
My intention was to make it a half day of joy–enjoying God and the splendor of His handiwork in the fall foliage of Estes Park, enjoying time spent with my son, and building a memory of joy that will hopefully last a lifetime.
By God’s grace it was all of that and more. As an illustration of just how much I let my gray hair down, tried to let go of the burdens of other responsibilities, and get serious about the business of joy. I’d like to risk sharing (I say risk as it is not easy for me to do!) the following, goofy, segment of a slo-mo video Seth shot of me. Though a bit cheezy perhaps, I’m calling it A Frigid Fall Frolic of Crazy Joy.
This is a day I will never forget! I don’t think my son will either. The crazy thing is that this video (and the memories that it brings back each time I watch it, or even think about it) provides a joy in my heart that spills over ONTO the pressures of the responsibilities I’m facing today and flows INTO the people that are a part of them.
I hope and pray that includes you.
Ideas for Getting Serious About the Business of Joy
- Schedule time for joy by starting every day this week meeting with God through reading His Word and talking with Him about your day.
- Schedule time for joy by starting your next staff / board meeting by celebrating your wins. Review your organization’s mission and vision. Then ask everyone you’re meeting with to share stories of how they see your organization’s mission and vision being fulfilled. So often leaders look at what “yet needs to be done” instead of looking back to see and celebrate all that God has“already done” in and through your efforts.
- Schedule time for joy by observing a day of rest. If you are not accustomed to this practice, I urge you to try it. A true sabbath’s rest will restore joy in ways you could never imagine! Eat some foods you love. Listen to music that restores your soul and makes you move! Play a game or include a workout that stretches or challenges. Wear clothes that are comfortable or make you happy. Notice the remarkable beauty and joy found in the simplest things: a smile, the kiss of the sun on your face, the chirping of a bird or squirrel, the steam of a hot shower–all the while giving thanks to God for His wonderful goodness.
- Schedule time for joy this Thanksgiving. You have a week to plan it! Be intentional about when and how you will lead a conversation with family and friends to retrace, recount, and even write down all the ways God has proven Himself faithful in the last year.
I would love to hear about your experience if you try any of the ideas above.
Question: What is one way you get serious about joy? Share your answer on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn through one of the tabs below.