"Loving Pleasures" - 2

 "Then I commended mirth, because a man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry: for that shall abide with him of his labour the days of his life, which God giveth him under the sun." (Ecclesiastes 8:15 KJV) 

  "Brothers and sisters, we urge you to warn those who are lazy. Encourage those who are timid. Take tender care of those who are weak. Be patient with everyone. See that no one pays back evil for evil, but always try to do good to each other and to all people. Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus." (1 Thessalonians 5:14-18 NLT)

 What I believe this means, without being judgmental, is that we enjoy helping others and try hard not to make life seem like such a burden, so that you don't make yourself the doom and gloom person, that no one cares to be around. We have only so many days here, on this earth, we need to be the ones that show forth joy, especially when it counts the most! 

 One of the definitions of 'Pleasure,' is, "a state of gratification." I know that it might be hard sometimes to do, but waking up this morning, is one of my first gratifications of the day! I get to live and do and be, one more day, another day to hopefully shine and be a light for Jesus! 

 That doesn't happen every day, I hate to say, because there are days when I feel sad and alone, which is usually because I forgot to count my blessings. We need to focus upon those things which God has given us to do, knowing that we have a purpose, big or small, it really doesn't matter; God works the same in every situation, even in the smallest expression, such as a smile and friendly hello. 

 Has your joy been hidden or taken away? Do you feel as though your life does not warrant joy or happiness? There is a very good reason that we must always be joyful, because we have been saved and no matter what, we have eternal life in Christ Jesus, our Lord! There is no greater pleasure...

"Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again - rejoice! Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:4-7 NLT)