Tag: Freude

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Jubilation

Lesedauer 3 Minuten

There are days, everything goes wrong. We may feel discouraged, depressed about various difficult circumstances and problems. Or tired because of situations that don’t change the way we want them to. We have long prayed for a breakthrough, but it doesn’t seem to work. There are many reasons to complain and be resigned.

However, there is always reason to be happy and joyfull, regardless of what is going on outside. It all depends on where we look. The psalmist David writes in Psalm 5:12:

“Let be happy in you, those who love your name .But all who seek refuge by you will be happy. Their jubilation knows no bounds, because in you they are safe. “

At the beginning of the psalm David laments the bad conditions in the country, he asked the Lord to listen to his groans and cried out to God for help.

“You are my King and my God, I scream to you, I beg you! Lord, you hear my calling early in the morning. Very early in the morning I bring my requests to you and longingly wait for your answer. For injustice you cannot keep silent ”Psalm 5: 3-5

David brings his requests, his suffering, his lament, he lets go of everything with God and so at the end of the Psalm he finds joy again in the focus on God. And so we are also allowed to bring everything to God that burdens us and direct our gaze to him. In him we can be happy and cheer because we know and love his name. When we seek refuge with him, our jubilation knows no bounds, because we are safe with him.

To be “in him” what does that mean for me? For me this means to be rooted in the love of God, to live in connection with God, to align myself with him and strive for his will. In the relationship with God I find joy and reason to cheer.

  • I rejoice in God my Savior. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that all who believe in him should not perish, but have eternal life” John 3:16
  • I enjoy fellowship with God I am happy to be a child of God through faith in Jesus “But those who welcomed him and believed in him, he gave them the right to become children of God” John 1:12
  • I rejoice in God’s good plan for the world and for my life “I have plans for you that are full of future and hope. Jer 29.11
  • . I am happy about God’s love “God is love; and whoever abides in love abides in God and God in him. ”1 John 4:16 b

“I am happy in the Lord, and my soul rejoices in my God; for he has put on me the clothes of salvation and dressed in the cloak of righteousness, adorned like a bridegroom with a priestly headdress and like a bride who is emblazoned in her jewelry “(Isaiah 61,10)

The joy in the Lord Jesus Christ is the source of all joy. If, even on difficult days, I focus my gaze on this joy, on the joy in God, on his love, I remain hopeful, confident and know that I am safe with him, no matter what. That gives me strength and strength in every situation. A joy that comes from communion with God and his unconditional love and grace, which always remains the same until after death. The certainty of his love for me, which is always there, no matter what, helps me in times of challenge, when the sun is not shining, in times when storms are raging in life, not to lose my joy and to hold on to God always has a good plan and that he knows me and never leaves me alone in any situation.

“Do not be troubled; for the joy in the Lord is your strength. ”Nehemiah 8:10

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Wealth

Lesedauer 2 Minuten

The definition of wealth is abundance of material or spiritual values. When something is valuable to us and we hang our hearts on it, we call it wealth. These can be very different things in our life, e.g. material wealth (money and goods), beauty, health, family, friends, work, leisure time, talents and much more.

What we hang our hearts on ,determines and defines our life, we align ourselves with it. Wealth promises security and happiness, e.g. a lot of money = financial security. Often we strive for certain things or want to achieve this or that, because we think that our happiness depends on it.

The Bible says we should be careful of what we hang our hearts on. Far too often we focus on wrong goals, on things that basically cannot fulfill us, make us rich or happy. Jesus speaks of treasures on earth and treasures in heaven.

“Do not collect riches here on earth, where moths and rust devour them or thieves break in and steal. Rather collect your treasures in heaven, where they cannot be eaten away by moths or rust and are also safe from thieves. For where your treasure is, there your heart will also be! ”Matthew 6: 19-21

All treasures and riches on earth are perishable, treasures in heaven remain forever. What does Jesus mean by treasures in heaven?

I believe the treasures in heaven are the gifts from God that we receive when we turn our lives around him, our hearts hang on him first of all. Through the connection, fellowship with Jesus we collect treasures in heaven, yes I would say the relationship with Jesus is the greatest wealth we can have as humans, worth much more than a lottery win. His unconditional love, knowing he died for me on the cross, bore my sins for me and forever reconciled me with Heavenly Father, that is a treasure that fills my heart with peace, joy, hope, confidence. This love of his is an immortal treasure and wealth that nothing and no one can steal from me.

Jesus has many treasures in store for me. I can read his word and the bible and get to know and meet him through this.

“I rejoice in your word as one who finds great treasure.” Psalm 119,162

“Your instructions are my treasure; they fill my heart with joy.” Psalm 119: 111

“Happy is the one who trusts in you.” Psalm 84:13

“Prosperity comes through God’s blessing; your own effort does not make it greater.” Proverbs 10:22

“If you get riches, your hearts will not be attached to it.” Psalm 62:11

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Change of perspective

Lesedauer 3 Minuten

In our life we ​​look at different circumstances, situations from our own perspective. Sometimes our views are bogged down, we are convinced of something, and our point of view is only one-way. But often we need a new perspective, something that helps us see things in a different light.

A few days ago we celebrated Easter, the resurrection of Jesus. This event was such a change of perspective. On that day darkness became light, defeat became victory, and death became life. After his resurrection, Jesus appeared and met several people. The encounter with the risen One revealed God’s perspective on what was happening to them.

There were Mary Magdalene and Mary, the mother of James, who stood crying by the empty tomb. They were full of sadness and fear. They thought Jesus was dead until they met him in a gardener.

We also read about the two disciples, Cleopas and his friend, who were on their way home from Jerusalem to Emmaus when they met Jesus in their disappointment and hopelessness. It was only when he broke bread with them that they recognized him.

In the same way he appeared to his 11 disciples, who left the tomb horrified and terrified (Mark 16.8). He showed himself to them in the midst of their desperation.

Thomas, one of the disciples, was in a perspective of doubt and disbelief. It was only when he laid his hands on Jesus’ wounds that he could believe.

Peter also had an encounter with Jesus. He had slandered Jesus three times and felt himself to be a failure. Despite his weakness, Jesus approached him and asked him the same question three times: “Simon Peter, do you love me?”

Saul also experienced a change of perspective on the way to Damascus. He was a bitter enemy and persecutor of the Christians, until suddenly a light shone around him and he heard the voice of Jesus, whom he was persecuting. It was a life changing event in his life. He became Paul, who with great zeal, preached the good news among the people and became a believer of Christians.

An encounter with Jesus transforms and gives a new perspective. Not only then, also today, Jesus wants to meet you and me, in our everyday life, in our circumstances and life situations. Jesus is risen, he lives. He loved us first and he always takes the first step towards us humans. He wants to be close to us, to meet us. He proves his love when he died on the cross for our sin. Through his sacrifice we are reconciled to God, and through his resurrection we have eternal life. God gives a new perspective. Sadness and disappointment become joy, where despair reigns hope arises. Doubt and unbelief have to fade away, new faith arises. In failure and weakness God brings new strength, hatred is conquered by love.

We can ask ourselves the following questions:

  • Where or in which area of my life do I experience disappointment or sadness, where do I need new joy?
  • Where I feel desperation, where do I need new hope?
  • Where am I stuck in doubt or unbelief and need new faith?
  • Where do I feel weak and in failure and need new strength?
  • Where do I need love that conquers all hatred?
  • Where did something in me die and need to be brought back to life?
  • Where do I see the end and need a new beginning?
  • No matter what it is and what we need, that’s exactly where Jesus wants to meet us and give us a new perspective, God’s perspective.

This new perspective, this love of God in our hearts turns night into day, brings light into every darkness, makes a new beginning out of every hopeless situation. An encounter with Jesus changes our hearts. By believing in him we become children of God and his spirit lives and works in us. Thereby we become bearers of his love and as children of light we can pass on his love and his light to our fellow human beings. We can tell about Jesus, pray for people, live charity so that many more people can meet Jesus.

Quotation: “But when Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, he first appeared to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven evil spirits” (Mark 16: 9); Another biblical passage in John 20: 11-18

Quote: “And they came to him and took hold of his feet and fell down before him.” (Matthew 28: 1-10)

Quote: “As they talked and discussed one another, Jesus approached himself and went with them.” (Luke 24: 13-35)

Quote: “The disciples were glad that they saw the Lord.” (John 20: 19-23)

Quote: “Because you have seen me, Thomas, that is why you believe.” (John 20: 24-29)

Quote: “When it was already morning, Jesus stood on the bank.” (John 21)

Quotation: “At last of all he was also seen by me as an untimely birth” (1 Corinthians 15: 1-8); Another biblical passage in Acts 9: 1-19

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Advent – Expectations

Lesedauer 2 Minuten

Advent has begun, a time of great expectation. We are preparing for Christmas and doing our best to make it as beautiful as possible. We decorate, bake biscuits, decorate the Christmas tree, buy gifts, look for recipes for the perfect Christmas menu and we want to have a good time with the family.

We also expect a contemplative, peaceful and harmonious time in which we can pause and come to rest. This year the Advent and Christmas season could be different from what we expect. The Christmas markets have been canceled, social contacts are restricted, large Christmas celebrations are canceled, travel is not allowed.

But what is really important? What is the Advent season actually about? Advent comes from the Latin and means “arrival”. We are preparing for the arrival of Jesus, whose birthday we celebrate on Christmas night, and Advent also indicates the future coming of Christ.

“Prepare the way for the Lord” Isaiah 40: 3

Jesus is at the center, his arrival is the center of the Christmas message. With this in mind, I would like to organize the Advent and Christmas season. Remind me consciously that Jesus is looking for a place where he can arrive. Already 2000 years ago in Bethlehem, Mary and Joseph were looking for accommodation where they could stay. Many people turned them away until they finally found a place in a stable. There Jesus was born and Mary put him in a manger. God makes himself small, he was born in poor circumstances. God comes close to us humans and shows his love. He gives himself.

Even today Jesus is still looking for a place where he can arrive. He is on the lookout for people who will accept the gift of his love, who will open their hearts to him so that he can move in there. He is not expecting a decorated Christmas tree, gifts, or Christmas menu. What he wants is encounter and community, he wants to arrive in you and me. It is he who bestows us with his unconditional love, with his light, with his hope, with his consolation, with his joy, with his grace and with his peace.

“Behold, I bring you good news of great joy, which will be to all people” Luke 2:10

“Because a child is born to us! A son has been given to us! He will take control. He is called “Wonderful Counselor”, “Mighty God”, “Eternal Father”, “Prince of Peace” Isaiah 9.5

This year in particular, in which this world needs new hope and new light, is the opportunity for the Christmas message to become increasingly important, for many people to become more conscious of it, to think about it and to go in search of God. When I think of the Christmas story, the three wise men from the Orient come to my mind. The Bible calls them magicians, a combination of scientists, philosophers and astronomers. They were looking for the truth. They looked for Jesus, asked questions, they observed and did everything they can to get answers and thus achieved their goal.

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you. For whoever asks receives; and whoever seeks will find; and whoever knocks there will be opened. ”Matthew 7: 7-8

“Then you will seek the Lord your God. And you will find him if you ask about him honestly and with all your heart ”Deuteronomy 4:29

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Rejoice all time

Lesedauer < 1 Minute

How does joy arise? Joy is a reaction to a happy event, something beautiful that I have experienced, an emotion in a pleasant situation or the memory of it. This is a joy that depends on my circumstances, on how I feel, on events that happen to me.

Paul writes in Philippians “Rejoice at all times!” But there are also circumstances that do not give rise to joy, difficulties, challenges, problems, crises, bad days. How can I be happy there at all times?

So there is a joy that does not depend on circumstances, but is constant at all times, and which I can remember especially in difficult situations. Where does this joy come from, where is the source of this joy?

If I read on in Philippians, Paul describes the origin of this joy:

“Rejoice at all times because you are connected with the Lord”

Another Bible translation reads:

“Rejoice in the Lord always”

The secret lies in the connection with God. God is the source of joy.

My joy comes from knowing that God is with me no matter what the circumstances are. This is a joy that nothing and nobody can take away from me and that also leads me through the valleys of life. The relationship with God is the key to this joy that never fades. Through fellowship with God, I can change my perspective even in difficulties, challenges, problems, crises and bad days. I look to Jesus and his presence instead of what is bothering me. His love and the joy he gives carry me through.

“One joy dispels a hundred worries” (Japanese proverb)

“To be close to God is my happiness” Psam 73:28

“The joy in the Lord is your strength” Nehemiah 8:10

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Protect your heart

Lesedauer 4 Minuten

Pay attention to your thoughts, because they become feelings.
Pay attention to your feelings because they become words.
Watch your words, because they are turning to actions.
Watch your actions, because they become habits.
Watch your habits, for they become your character.
Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny. (Chinese proverb)

The heart is the seat of our deepest inner being, emotions, personality and will. The Bible mentions several times how important it is to protect, keep our hearts clean. Our current state of mind is reflected in our hearts, what we think, what we feel, what we want.

“How are you?” – “How are you feeling?” Are questions that we often hear, but mostly superficially answer with “Fine, thank you!” But how are we really doing? Are we sad, angry, anxious, angry, offended, happy, tired, excited, relaxed, calm, etc., or are we currently in a chaos of emotions, an emotional alternation?

What thoughts are we dealing with? What do we think about ourselves, about our fellow human beings, about our situations and circumstances?

Is what we think and feel consistent with the truth? Can we always trust our thoughts and feelings?

God created us with feelings and they also have important tasks. Feelings make us alive, create closeness to our fellow human beings by empathizing and empathizing with others, they can motivate and inspire us and let us feel alife. In addition to positive feelings, there are also negative feelings that can drain, depress and depress us. It can happen that we feel depressed and weak and often don’t really know why. It is therefore important to pay attention to our thoughts and feelings, as these affect our lives. Negative feelings arise from negative or wrong thoughts that we have previously let into our hearts. Therefore it does not help to suppress them, it is better to accept these feelings and to observe which sources they have.

Last week I wrote about how we become a new person through Christ, acquire a new identity. If we accept His love, we become children of God and the Holy Spirit dwells in us. As children of God, we no longer need to let our feelings determine us, but we are guided by the Holy Spirit and live by faith.

God’s Word is truer than all my feelings.
God’s Word is truer than all my experiences.
God’s Word is truer than any living conditions I may get into.
God’s Word is truer than anything in the world.

Because our feelings can deceive and mislead us. They are volatile, changeable, they come and go. Our feelings are often not true. Feelings are not a good guide. They depend on many factors and external circumstances. The weather, poor nutrition, too little sleep, the behavior of other people can influence our emotional state. We can also be trapped in life lies that we believe. So we have to choose to do the right thing no matter how we feel.

Jesus also had feelings. He was angry when the merchants gathered in the temple and made his prayer house a robber’s cave. He was angry when he spoke to the Pharisees and scribes who lived in law. He was sad when his friend Lazarus died and disappointed with the unbelief of his successors. When his pioneer John the Baptist was beheaded, it hit Jesus in the heart. In the garden of Gethsemane, shortly before his crucifixion, Jesus was afraid and grieved to death. We can only guess how Jesus must have felt when he was slandered by Peter and betrayed by Judas. In all of this, he always looked at his Heavenly Father and enjoyed communion with God. Early in the morning, he went up the mountain alone to pray. When the Holy Spirit filled Jesus, he was joyful. He exulted in the spirit. He found joy in the presence of God. He enjoyed serving people and fulfilling his mission.

If Jesus had always relied on his feeling, he would not have been able to carry out God’s plan, but since he was guided by the Spirit of God and looked at the will of the Father, he could make the right decisions.

“Father, if you want, take this cup from me; but not mine, but your will be done! ”Luke 22:42


We feel best when our thoughts agree with God’s will, when we test our thoughts against the Word of God.


“But if he comes, the spirit of truth, he will lead you into all the truth” John 16:13

“The fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, kindness, faith, meekness, chastity”


The Holy Spirit gives faith and heals the emotional world. We are happy about things that make God happy and we are sad about everything that makes God sad.

Contrary to our feelings, God’s Word is constant. We can always rely on that.

Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
“… but the word of the Lord remains forever.” Matthew 24:35

“The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God remains forever.” Isaiah 40: 8


God’s truth never changes. We can choose to speak God’s thoughts about our life, our fellow human beings and our circumstances and to believe and trust His promises more than our feelings.



“For I know well what thoughts I have about you, saith the Lord: thoughts of peace and not of suffering that I may give you future and hope.”

We can allow our thoughts and feelings, identify them, bring them to God and live them out according to his will. God knows our heart and every thought.

“Explore me, God, and recognize my heart, test me and recognize my thoughts.
Show me if I am going wrong and lead me to eternal life. ”Psalm 139: 23-24

“Your instructions are my darling, they fill my heart with joy. I am determined to keep your orders until the end of my life. ”Psalm 119,111-112

“You should take your old life off like old clothes. Do not follow your passions that mislead you and destroy you. Let yourself change in your thinking and realign yourself internally. Attracts new life as you put on new clothes. You have now become new people, whom God himself created in his image. Let everyone know that you now belong to God and live the way you like it ”Ephesians 4: 22-24

Faith is not a feeling, but a decision.

“But faith is a firm confidence in what one hopes and no doubting in what one does not see” Hebrews 11: 1

We don’t have to follow our feelings, our feelings have to follow our beliefs.

Rely on the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your understanding, but remember him in all your ways, he will guide you properly. ”Proverbs 3: 5-6

“And the peace of God, which goes beyond all understanding, will keep your heart and your thoughts in Christ Jesus!” Philippians 4: 7

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Refuel in god´s presence

Lesedauer 2 Minuten

Last Wednesday I wrote about the importance of goals in life, keeping your eyes on the goal and approaching it. In order to achieve our goal, we must not forget one thing: stop and refuel again and again, otherwise we will stop halfway. If we are traveling by car and want to reach our holiday destination, for example, we need a full tank and if the warning light comes on that we are on reserve, we have to fill up.
There are times in which i am driving with my reserve tank. If I want to achieve my goal through actionism by doing as much as possible, I notice how my batteries are draining, I feel tired and weak and I can’t get any further.
An athlete, for example, cannot constantly train hard, also needs breaks and regeneration, rest and a healthy diet so that his body can replenish nutrients.
Fatigue, lack of strength, lack of joy, depressed mood are warning signals for me and a sign that I am running on the back burner and that I have forgotten the most important thing: refuel.
Even in spiritual life there is a danger that we want to achieve our goals through as much effort and effort as possible and forget that it is primarily about our being and our relationship with God.
That is why our petrol stations are so important in life. Our petrol stations are stops that rebuild us and give us new energy.
What are your stations?
A good conversation
An encounter with friends
enough sleep
Move
healthy eating
music
nature
God has given us an oasis to refuel, which is there for all situations and for all people: in Psalm 36 we find it:


With you is the source of life and in your light we see the light. Psalm 36:10
With God I can refuel, rest in his presence and be filled.

There are always smaller or larger dry spells in life. Jesus offers me to come to him with my thirst, he gives me this water for free. I need this water of life not only in emergency situations, but every day in the smallest challenges of everyday life, because I am not perfect and I always do everything right. Jesus knows me with all my mistakes and weaknesses. He knows everything and in all of this gives me his unconditional love.
In Matthew 11:28, Jesus said:

Come all to me who are tired and bear heavy burdens, I will give you rest.
John 4:14

But whoever drinks of the water that I give him will never be thirsty forever, but the water that I will give him will become in him a source of water that swells in eternal life


If we live from his strength and do not rely solely on our strength, he will lead us to the goal.


“He will bring you to your destination, give you strength and strength and ensure that you stand firm and secure” 1 Peter 5:10


Time with God, in his presence, reading the Bible – his word, renews our thoughts, gives us strength, strength, calm, peace and joy. Just as the battery is recharged every day for a cell phone, we can also recharge our batteries, recharge our batteries and let ourselves be fulfilled every day from our relationship with God.

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Goals

Lesedauer 3 Minuten

Having goals is important. In life we ​​always set ourselves new goals, big and small. Graduation, job, starting a family, sporting goals, building a house or apartment – buying – renting, climbing a mountain, eating healthy, etc. No matter what it is to set goals in all areas of our life gives us orientation and direction. Where do I want to go? What do I want to achieve? The goal is the guide. Focusing on a goal helps me not to be distracted, to stay tuned and to do everything possible to achieve it.

Above all, it motivates me to have a goal in view, because then I know exactly why I’m doing something. If a student has set the goal of learning a certain profession, he knows why he has to go to school and learn every day. If a runner has set himself the goal of running a marathon, he knows why he has to train hard. If I aim to be fit and in shape, I know why I should change my diet and move.

A clear goal in mind helps us to walk the path. This makes it easier for us to overcome difficulties and obstacles, our motivation is greater, we act in a goal-oriented manner. Desires and dreams increase our joy of life, aimlessness often leads to dissatisfaction.

In addition to the worldly goals that man sets, there is, however, a higher goal, an imperishable goal. God the Father, our Creator gives us this goal. Every person is created by God and has a purpose given by God, a specific purpose. God created us in his likeness and God is essentially a relationship. God is father, son and holy spirit, related to each other. This is how people are made for relationships.

“Even before the creation of the world in Christ, God made us out of love to be holy before him and freed us from guilt. From the beginning it was his unchanging plan to receive us through Jesus Christ as his children, and he had great joy in this decision ”Ephesians 1: 4

The goal is fellowship with God, that’s why we are in the world. Sin caused separation from God. Sin also means missing the target. Man turned from God and went his own way, pursued his own goals instead of living in his God-given destiny. Through Jesus, who accepted sin for us humans and paid for it with death on the cross, everyone has the opportunity to reconcile with God and to go towards the goal of communion with God. Paul describes this goal in the Philippians:

“It is clear to me that I have still not achieved all of this and that I am still not there. But I do everything I can to take it because I am touched by Jesus Christ. As I said, my dear brothers and sisters, I know exactly: I have not yet reached my goal. But one thing is certain: I want to forget what’s behind me and just look at the goal in front of me. I run with all my strength to win the victory price, life in God’s glory. Because God called us to do this through Jesus Christ. ”Philippians 3,12-14

God gave Paul a new goal in his life: a life in the loving presence of God. This allowed him to realign his life and live for the glory of God.

” With (Jesus) Christ the goal that the law is about has been reached: everyone who believes in him is declared righteous. “(The Bible, Romans 10: 4)

And so I can set my priorities again and again. Stop and realign my goals. Where do I want to go, what do I orientate myself to? Keep my eyes on Jesus and take off everything that would distract me from my goal. In the determination and for the goal to live for which I was created, my heart fills with an inner joy that nobody can take from me and that is not dependent on external circumstances,

“Always rejoice that you belong to the Lord. And once again I want to say it: rejoice! “Philippians 4: 4

and with a peace that the world does not know.

“God’s peace, which exceeds all our understanding, will keep your hearts and minds because you are connected with Jesus Christ” Philippians 4: 7