DIGC on ‘Thieves of Joy’ (Part 1)
Philippians 4:4
To understand those forces that steal our joy.
– Joy is a critical crucial asset of irreplaceable value in the life of a Child of God.
– The enemy fights joy in the life of a Christian because of the relevance of Joy.
– The enemy uses several channels to fight the joy of the Child of God. 2nd Corinthians 2:11.
The Child of God is responsibility bound to defend his or her joy by all means and at all cost.
Factors that Steal our Joy
1. Wrong input or intake. This is in form of information or whatever news you put into your system. Proverbs 4:23. What you feed into your soul and Spirit affects how you fare in life. Jeremiah 15:16.
2. The wrong association. 1st Corinthians 15:33. The people of your life can determine the joy of your life. Your association determines your celebration. 1st Samuel 10:5-6. Some of us, the kind of friends you keep are the reasons why you can’t be excited, they are either depressed or depressive. They step into your life and joy steps out. There are people who are in courtship and are depressed, they are not married yet but are depressed. Association is never by force, its by choice. It is better to walk alone than to walk with the wrong crowd.
Somebody visits you once and visits you twice and anytime he visits, you lose your peace. What does wisdom demand? Minimize, limit, arrest, resist, frustrate and eliminate the visit.
Every time you see the call of a particular person, your heart starts beating. What does wisdom demand? Bounce the call, be busy. Thank God there are many features in the phone. Phone was made for man, man was not made for phone.
Life must be lived deliberately, not at random motion. Don’t let life happen to you, happen to life.
Don’t put your life under pressure, don’t endure life, enjoy it.
3. The attitude of ingratitude. Psalm 100: 1-4. There is a connection between thankfulness and joyfulness. To be thankful is to be joyful. No matter how things are bad, there is always something to be thankful for. Everyday have at least 6 things to thank God for.
As long as there is life, marriage is still possible. You can be 50 years old and still give birth. Don’t look at your time, look at God’s time. He makes all things beautiful in His time. There are many things we take for granted. You have obedient children? Thank God, beautiful, committed husband, thank God.
Gratitude is a fertile seed that reproduces after its kind. When you begin to sow seeds of gratitude, you will begin to reap a harvest of multiplied reasons to be grateful.
4. The low self esteem. A sense of low self worth. Judges 6:15-16. We saw this in the life of Gideon. The Lord showed me that majority of these human beings are in this category. A low feeling about your self ultimately translates into a low feeling in life generally.
Low feeling of yourself affects the following;
– It affects joy and excitement.
– Energy and Enthusiasm level.
– It affects performance and competence.
Causes of Low Self Esteem
1. Consistent personal failures or mistakes from the past. When you have under performed consistently in the past, child failing in class consistently and those kind of things. The decision here is to refuse to fail. I told you of W.F Kumuyi who had failed consistently in the class until form 4, third term. I listened to his message titled ‘Why Leaders Fail’ in the year 1987, that’s 33 years ago or thereabout and he said, he was talking to his classmates and they were laughing and his teacher looked at him and said ‘William Folorunsho, others are laughing and you are laughing too, other people are laughing, you can laugh too?’ He was at the tail end of the class, and he made up his mind that he had failed for the last time. So when others are laughing, I can’t laugh because I am failing? And he went back and he studied.
When form 5, what you call SS1 now, came, he came forward in class, second term, he came to the front of the class, third term, he came out as the best. Only three terms, he sat at home, applied for A levels by himself, entered University of Ibadan and graduated as the overall best student in the University.
If you have failed and failed before, just tell yourself, I am failing no more.
2. Harsh, negative, demeaning words from authority figures. Maybe your parents, maybe classroom teacher. Classroom teacher told me ‘somebody like you won’t amount to anything’ and I was very playful then.
Many parents have destroyed their children with their words and actions. When you speak negative, harsh, demeaning words to children, you raise children that are not confident in life, you raise children that can’t face challenges.
Women are also victims. Some women have become shadow of themselves because of husband treatment. You tell her “What a burden you are, liability wife”. Before long, potential dies, a beautiful woman begins to look ugly, a highly talented woman becomes bankrupt. If you don’t want anybody’s daughter again, return them to their parents.
Divorce is not allowed, but it is better than destroying anybody’s life. A real man protects, a real man loves.
The kind of atmosphere that people grow affects the kind of life they live. If a child is not doing well in school, it is your blood, hold yourself responsible.
3. Rejection Situations. The rejection you are facing is because the devil fears your future. The stones that the builders rejected becomes the head of the corner. It is the Lord’s doing and it is marvelous in our sight. Your rejection is the birth place for the unction.
4. Unkind remarks and uncomplimentary remarks regarding physical challenges or limitations.
One of the things that God is dealing with today is the Spirit of rejection. The Spirit of low self worth is coming out of someone today in Jesus Name. Amen!
How Do You Handle Low Self Worth?
– See yourself as God sees you. God says you are fearfully and wonderfully made.
– Decide to turn your liability into an asset. What ever they say is wrong with you, make it right.
– Renew your mind with the Word. Romans 12:2.
– Reject the Spirit of devaluation. Refuse to be devalued.
– Avoid climates that emphasize your deficiency.
Counsel
* Do all that is within your power to defend your joy.
* Seek spiritual help to deal with the spirit of depression.
