For the Lord takes pleasure in His people; He will beautify the humble with salvation. Psalm 149:4 (NKJV) Are you taking pleasure from life? Instead of focusing on the good and taking pleasure in what God is doing in our lives, we often get too wrapped up in the problems we face. The Bible says that God takes pleasure in you. He enjoys thinking about you. He likes to watch what you’re doing with your life. Even though you’re not perfect, he still takes pleasure in you. Just as he takes pleasure in you, you can learn how to take pleasure in your everyday life. All it takes is to make up your mind to look for the positive. When you do, what happens is …

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. Colossians 3:23–24 Have you developed the habit of complaining lately? If you’re sick and tired of talking about what makes you sick and tired, it’s time to develop a little more enthusiasm. The good news is that enthusiasm is in each and every one of us, as believers. In fact, the word enthusiasm comes from the root words en and Theos, meaning “in God.” Everything you do in life, you can “do for the Lord” (Colossians 3:23). God is all about laughter, joy, …

Never lag in zeal and in earnest endeavor; be aglow and burning with the Spirit, serving the Lord. Romans 12:11 (AMPC) Whatever you do, you can decide to do it with enthusiasm. Whether you’re single or married, enthusiasm is attractive. The fact is, people enjoy being around enthusiastic people. Even everyday tasks can be done with enthusiasm. I’m not saying you should fake excitement for chores that bore you. But realize that enthusiasm isn’t an emotion; it’s an attitude you can choose to bring to everything you do. It reminds me of a story in Mark Twain’s Tom Sawyer. Tom wanted to go to the swimming hole with all his friends, but Aunt Polly wanted him to whitewash the fence—and the fence seemed to go on …

His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for your house will consume me.” John 2:17 How do you picture Jesus? Do you think of him as someone who never gets excited about anything? That’s not how he was portrayed in the Bible. Jesus wasn’t laid back, detached or indifferent. Jesus lived with passion! As a believer, you have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16), which means in addition to having his peace and joy in you, you also have access to his enthusiasm and zest for life in every area. Enthusiasm is vital for success. Sir Edward V. Appleton, a Scottish physicist who won a Nobel Prize once said, “I rate enthusiasm even above professional skill,” and I’d have to agree with him. …

Don’t bad-mouth each other, friends. It’s God’s Word, his Message, his Royal Rule, that takes a beating in that kind of talk. You’re supposed to be honoring the Message, not writing graffiti all over it. James 4:11–12 (MSG) Is the Christian life all about getting our behaviour right? Let’s say that a woman’s husband one day announces he wants a divorce. The woman manages to convince him to work on their marriage for a period of two months. Although he doesn’t want to, he changes a few behaviours to appease her. He makes her breakfast every morning, but is annoyed at having to do so. He calls when he’s going to be late for dinner, and he even says, “You look nice,” when she’s heading …