JOMO

The sign caught my attention as I wandered through the store.

A play on FOMO… fear of missing out. Something from which I hardly suffer.

I’m a homebody, through and through. Given the choice to attend an event or stay home in my pajamas, I’m choosing the latter nine times out of ten.

Because I enjoy comfort. I appreciate quiet, uneventful days, and I never tire of the solace and peace within the walls of my home.

Maybe that’s my problem. The fact that I prefer to lead a simple, easy, predictable life.

But what we want isn’t always what we get. And often, what we need comes in the packages we least expect.

Fear is too easy to come by. We’ve got far too much of it stored up in our bones.

But joy. Joy is what we want. And truth be told, it is ever bit as abundant, but it must be sought out and desired.

Listen, God’s goodness is limitless. It will never run out, but so often we don’t chase it. We’d just prefer He drop it right in our laps.

Yet, God calls His people to action.

To taste AND see. To be hearers AND doers.

Because in the tasting and the doing is where we experience it. The joy that can’t be found in the refusal.

And sadly, we intentionally choose to miss out on the blessings that God has in store for us because it would cause us to step too far out of our comfort zones. Give up some of our favorite luxuries. Maybe even inconvenience us or interrupt the lovely little plans we’ve mapped out for ourselves.

But look at the ones who are seeking and gathering, spending themselves on the things of God.

Do you know what they possess in great supply?

Joy.

And they’re not the ones missing out. Sure, by the world’s standards they may not be the wealthiest, the most powerful or influential, or the most successful.

But they’ve got what we want because they willingly accept the things of God. The good and valuable things He has stored up for those who fear Him.

God is calling you to action, my friend. You have the choice to say no. And He’ll honor your choice. God won’t make you do one thing or another. That’s the beauty of free will.

But there is great blessing in store. Great joy, too.

Don’t rob yourself of God’s goodness. It is certainly worth the pursuit.