Gazing into God's Open Heart
101 Pathways to Joy
by
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Sometimes it’s more important to receive than it is to
give.
“You did not choose me; I chose you and appointed you to go and bear much fruit, the kind of fruit that endures.” John 15:16
All love starts with God. We have to be chosen before we can choose. We have to receive before we can give.
It might seem selfish to think that receiving is more important than giving. Doesn’t that fly in the face of what we were taught? When it is a question of our relationships with one another, then it might seem more altruistic to give than to receive. But when it is a question of our relationship to God, then it is far better to receive than to give. For if we don’t first receive, and continue to receive, then we have nothing to give. Everything starts with God, and so whatever we have ultimately comes from him as a free gift of his love. If we want to live a truthful life, we need to recognize our dependence on God for all that we have, and to be grateful receivers.
If we happen to be somewhat unaware of how our lives really work, it can be a temptation to suppose that we alone are mainly responsible for our achievements. This reminds me of the first time I ever drove a car. I was three years old. My dad stopped the
Of course we have much more control over our lives now than I did when steering the car in the garage at the age of three. But there is some degree of truth in the analogy. Our hands are never the only ones on the steering wheel. We were loved by God into existence long before we were able to love back in return. God touches us with his word and with the inspirations of his Spirit often in our lives. His guidance is with us, providing the force that brings some measure of success to our lives. His power gives us the possibility to achieve what we could never do if left to ourselves. This seems to be a basic message of the gospel, a message that many people tell me they come to experience as their spirituality evolves. Knowing that God’s hands are with ours on the steering wheels of our lives, we find yet another basic reason for joy.
Our success in life comes through God’s power and it is sustained by his love. We receive it as a gift. Is this how you see your life?
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About the Book
Not only the words of Jesus, but all the words of Scripture reveal what is in God’s heart. We can find a multitude of ways to joy through the personal application of the message of the Bible to our lives. This book uses the term “101 ways to joy” to emphasize this idea. If we pay attention to our lives in the light of what Scripture tells us, we come to notice an overflowing sense of peaceful delight growing within ourselves. The 101 ways to joy are embedded in Jesus’ life, words and actions, and in the words and actions of the Bible as a whole. Joy is God’s gift to those who seek to understand these words and actions, and to live by them.
Since many of us are very busy people, each of the book’s 101 ways to joy can be read in just a few short minutes. This allows time for reflection that enables readers to make the ideas a part of their lives. The book is meant to light a warm, gentle fire in the hearts of all who read and reflect on it.
About the Author
Kenneth Grabner is the author of several books, including Focus Your Day, and is a long time contributer to Living Faith, a booklet of daily devotions published four times yearly. He has a doctoral degree in theology, and has taught theology at Marquette University and at the University of Notre Dame. He has given many presentations on spiritual topics to those desiring to deepen their faith.
He has ministered extensively to recovering alcoholics, and has been director of mission effectiveness programs for several hospitals. His ministry presently includes chaplaincy services at Holy Cross Village at Notre Dame. He is a member of the Congregation of Holy Cross.