BE A JOY GIVER, NOT A ‘JOY SUCKER.’

BE A JOY GIVER, NOT A ‘JOY SUCKER.’

Colossians 3:15-17

We purposefully choose our attitude• …by how we chose

to respond to – circumstances, – events and – people.

• A sustained negative attitude will kill you.

Jesus said,

• I have come that

you may have life,

and have it to the full. – Jn 10:10b

God doesn’t want anything• To dampen, dim or

diminish our life!

So, He speaks to us about the importance of a positive attitude

We derive our understanding of God from….

Our earthly father The church – the Body of Christ

NEGATIVE PEOPLE AREN’T FUN TO BE AROUND

Most people like to be around positive people.

• In sales, customers like to buy from positive people.

• In relationships, folk like to hang out with others who are fun to be with.

Tragically, misery loves company.

• Negative people search out others.

• They are “Joy suckers.”

You might be a joy sucker if… • you tend to find something to criticize. • you excuse your attitude by saying I’m not negative,

I am realistic.”• your first thought is about what’s wrong rather than

enjoying the moment. • you think that anyone who is experiencing a little

joy just doesn’t see the whole picture. • you go to church and you can’t work up a smile or

allow yourself to have a good feeling while there. • you spend your time thinking to yourself how much

better things used to be in the olden days.

God loves us.

• He doesn’t want His kids to be ‘Joy Suckers’

GOD WANTS US TO BE POSITIVE WHEN WE COME TO HIM.

So He says, • Worship the LORD with gladness; come before

him with joyful songs. Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his ; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations. – Ps 100:2-5

God even wants us to pray in an attitude of thanksgiving

• So, ...in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. – Phil 4:6

THANKSGIVING IS A WAY OF KEEPING YOUR FOCUS POSITIVE

The passage in Colossians has 3 specific dimensions:

• Our relationships – Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.

• Our culture – Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.

• Our activities – And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

God’s Word never commands our emotions

• it only commands our will.

We remember the first Thanksgiving as the gathering of the Pilgrim

Fathers in Plymouth, Massachusetts

In spite of heavy loss of life, the pilgrims chose to be Thankful to God.

There really is something winsome about an attitude of gratitude

• God wants us to be winsome

So, how’s your attitude?

It doesn’t take much to get folk to have a good time.

Thankfulness is an outflow of Joy in a person’s heart.

• Anyone can be a joy sucker, but we need God’s touch to truly be Joy givers.