If you really do find joy in everything you do, why do you need to remind yourself to find joy in everything you do? Do you honestly need to be conscious of whether you are finding joy or not?
Like many affirmations, I’m not sure whether the owner actually does what the affirmation says, or is just trying to convince herself.
Or maybe she’s counting on the concept of neuroplasticity to save her bacon and make possible the impossible. But that’s a topic for another discussion.
On a personal level, I have to admit, even as a Christian, I do not find joy in everything I do. Cleaning out the chicken coop, going to a kindergarten “graduation” ceremony, sharpening lawn mower blades with an angle grinder, disposing of mice my dogs kill – nope. Not much joy in that.
Here’s some real truth: There are a ton of things we do in life that aren’t “joyful” in the happy, pleasant sense of the word. We do stuff we need to, and we can be thankful in all things, as the Bible says, but there is no mandate (Christian or otherwise) to find joy in everything we do. At least not the kind of joy the world seeks.
Want some biblical joy?
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds.
James 1:2
Are you happy and satisfied when you are beaten down by trials?
It’s crucial to understand the difference between the world’s joy, and God’s joy. Worldly joy is almost always associated with pleasure, where “joy” and “pleasure” are often swapped out one for the other. Joy in this world is always tied to circumstances, so it’s quite fleeting, because things change around us faster than the weather does.
Real joy, lasting joy, joy that can come only from God, is the kind of delight, happiness, and satisfaction that is not dependent on the circumstances around us. It comes from knowing that our names are written in His Book of Life and nothing in this world can separate us from His love.
All true joy, all lasting joy, is found by looking up, not in.
With that thought in mind, you can, indeed, find joy in the things you do, but only if your joy is anchored in the Lord as you seek to serve and to please Him.