An Invitation to Fullness of Joy
An Invitation to Fullness of Joy
by Asheritah Ciuciu
Do you feel burned out ?
It ’ s a national epidemic . Excessive productivity and increasing responsibilities have led to continual busyness and eventual burnout . We dread facing our schedules bulging with commitments we ’ d rather avoid . We ’ re burdened by non-stop caregiving for both elderly parents and younger children . And we feel a tiredness in our bones that no amount of sleep can erase .
No matter how the enemy comes at you to steal your joy , Jesus always meets you right where you are , with arms stretched wide and a heartfelt “ Come to Me !” Only Jesus can deliver us from these robbers of delight . Thankfully , Jesus longs to restore our joy : “ Now is your time of grief , but I will see you again and you will rejoice , and no one will take away your joy ” ( see John 16:22 and Psalm 34:17-19 ).
Part of reversing burnout and receiving Jesus ’ joy is pressing “ pause ” on many of the activities we feel we “ should ” do , and leaning into the unique ways our Maker created each of us to connect with Him . I believe that just as we each have different personality types , we also have different “ devotional personality types ,” and how one person feels closest to God might differ from how another experiences His presence . Here are some examples of how my friends and I have created space to “ come away ” with Jesus and find rest for our souls in seasons of burnout :
If you ’ re naturally outdoorsy , get outside with God — after all , the heavens declare His glory ( see Psalm 19:1 ). Read your Bible on your front porch while watching the sun rise , or go for a prayer walk through the forest . Look forward to the feel-good hormones released in your brain that cheer you on : “ This . This is how God made me to connect with Him !”
If you ’ re a Bible nerd like me , block out an hour once or twice a week to go deep on the geeky Bible resources available . A couple of times a week , I sit down with concordances , dictionaries , Bible maps and The Bible Project videos to delve deep into the world of theology . And in that place , I feel God ’ s very presence .
If you ’ re artistic , you may find great joy in coloring , painting or hand-lettering your Bible study . I am not in the least artistic , but my daughters have enjoyed coloring key verses in the margins of their journaling Bibles while we take turns reading Scripture together .
If you ’ re a visual learner , pull out highlighters and Bible-safe pens to mark up your Bible and prayer journal . I like to color-coordinate my study of Scripture , using different colors for different themes ; it helps me stay more engaged while I read and gives me a bird ’ s-eye view of the frequency of those themes in each book of the Bible . You might also enjoy using charts ( or drawing them yourself ) to process the information you ’ re reading .
If you ’ re a kinesthetic learner , find tactile ways to enter into God ’ s presence . Whether going for a prayer walk , dancing , using art supplies as discussed above , or even doing crafts that represent what you ’ re learning or help you process your journey with Jesus , you might find the most enjoyment by incorporating movement into your rhythms of delighting in Jesus .
Now take a few moments to consider : How do you hear Jesus whispering to your soul His invitation to “ Come to Me ” to restore you to healing and joy ? What ’ s one thing you ’ ll do this week to get away with Him and receive His rest ? Jot it down , and discover what the psalmist meant when he said , “ In your presence there is fullness of joy ; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore .” ( Psalm 16:11 ESV ).
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Discover how to trade the things that steal your joy for Jesus ’ personal invitation to a life of joy with Him . Paperback $ 16.99