How to fill up with joy

Tom Harper

How to fill up with joyiStock

There are certain people that are just happy all the time. And then there's me. And probably you.

We have more ups and downs. More moods and attitudes. We're tired, wired, or just want to retire.

Too many of us rely on coffee to get us up in the morning and through the day. We grab a doughnut or some other sugar source to dampen the doldrums.

Beyond all the stimulants and pep talks, there is another source of energy and joy we can tap. God gives it to us in His Word:

Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy.
—Psalm 34:5

Relying on the Lord and walking closely with him add a certain quality to our countenance. Probably because when we do it, we are promised joy.

We also receive strength from that joy:

The joy of the Lord is your strength.
—Nehemiah 8:10c

When we're down or grieve, he lifts us up with joy. When we need him, he loves us so much that he pours joy into us even before he helps us. It's the act of trusting that bestows joy.

Wanna feel more relaxed and happy with life and leadership?

Employ joy.

Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, self-control.
—Gal 5:22


Excerpted from Servant Leader Strong: Uniting Biblical Wisdom and High-Performance Leadership, by Tom Harper (DeepWater Books, 2019).


Tom Harper is publisher of BiblicalLeadership.com and executive chairman of Networld Media Group, a business-to-business publisher and event producer. He has written five books, including Servant Leader Strong: Uniting Biblical Wisdom and High-Performance Leadership (DeepWater Books, 2019) as well as the Christian business fable Through Colored Glasses and its sequel Inner Threat (DeepWater, 2022).

Learn More »

More on Psychology and the Brain


Don't miss any of this great content! Sign up for our twice-weekly emails:

Free eBook

Leading With Eternity in Mind: The Tension of Now vs. Next

Do you need a perspective shift? In this helpful leadership book, Tim Tucker explores how holding a clear vision of the “next” changes how we live and lead in the “now.”

Download Now


Our Writers

Echo VanderWal is the co-founder and executive director of The Luke Commission, which serves …

Thom S. Rainer is the founder and CEO of Church Answers, and online community and …
Greg's life mission statement focuses on his life passion, which is “to strengthen the great …

Already a member? Sign in below.

  or register now

Forgot your password?

b'S2-NEW'