The Overflowing Joy: Fueling Our Service with Divine Delight

Sometimes I find myself wrestling with what truly motivates us in the work. We talk a lot about sacrifice, about enduring the tough times in the field, or about the sheer grit required to keep showing up for our friends in the ward. And those things are real—they are necessary!

But what if the engine driving that grit isn't just willpower? What if the *source* of the energy—the thing that makes the hard days feel less like a burden and more like a privilege—is something deeper? Something that overflows?

I was recently studying some teachings on Christian Hedonism, and it really struck me. It’s not about chasing fleeting pleasures; it’s about pursuing the deepest, most profound joy—the joy found in God. And here’s the beautiful, challenging part: that joy doesn't just keep us content; it *overflows* into our love for people.

It’s a pattern I’ve seen play out in the lives of returned missionaries. You can read about the Macedonians, who faced severe affliction and extreme poverty. But because the grace of God was poured out among them, their joy didn't just survive; it overflowed into a wealth of generosity. That’s the kind of overflow we need in our discipleship!

We often think of the commandments as a checklist: 1. Love God. 2. Love your neighbor. But these aren't separate tasks; they are two sides of the same overflowing coin. If our joy in the Savior is genuine, it *must* manifest as deep, active love for the people around us—our family, our ward members, and yes, our investigators.

The Joy of the Shepherd

This principle was echoed when discussing leadership and service. The scriptures warn that if we serve out of obligation, out of groaning, or simply because we feel we *should*, that effort is ultimately of no advantage. It makes the whole body sick.

But if we approach our calling—whether you are a new missionary in the MTC, a seasoned returned missionary in the field, or even just helping a friend study scriptures in a Book Club—with genuine joy? That changes everything. It becomes an outflow of our delight in the Lord. It’s not about the *act* of service; it’s about the *source* of the delight.

This is a vital reminder for all of us who are striving to be better disciples. We can’t just *will* ourselves to be cheerful givers or cheerful servants. We have to cultivate the source: that profound, abiding joy in the Savior.

If we focus on nourishing that joy—through study, through covenants, through drawing close to the Spirit—the love for people becomes the natural, inevitable byproduct. It’s the evidence that our joy in God is real and deep.

I encourage you this week to reflect on where your joy is coming from. Is it from the *result* (getting an acceptance, having a successful teaching)? Or is it from the *process*—from the privilege of sharing the gospel, no matter how small the interaction?

If you’re looking for a way to deepen this study, I highly recommend checking out the Iron Rod resources on this topic. And if you want to practice this with me, I’d love to walk you through some potential investigator questions. You can always schedule time with me, or we can tackle it together using Davee’s AI Investigator role!

For those of us who are craving more deep dives into scripture, don't forget to check out the Bible Study Groups in HolyPlaces. Let’s keep building each other up!