Embracing Change: Cultivating Zest and Joy in Life

 

Summary

Change is inevitable, but today offers a unique opportunity to choose change for the better. We are embarking on a journey to explore character strengths, beginning with zest, passion, and enthusiasm for life. The Anglican prayer reminds us to "shield the joyous," highlighting the fragility and necessity of joy in our lives. Joy is a rare and precious commodity, often overshadowed by our natural negativity bias, where bad news impacts us more profoundly than good news. This bias is evident in various aspects of life, from personal relationships to the media we consume.

Focusing on character strengths, such as zest, can lead us to positive emotions like love, joy, and peace, fostering well-being and engagement. Negative emotions, while necessary for short-term alertness, can deplete us if they become long-term states. Embracing zest for life, as exemplified by figures like Theodore Roosevelt and David from the Bible, can invigorate our spirits and lead to wholehearted living. Roosevelt's exuberance and David's wholeheartedness demonstrate the vitality and energy that come from living with enthusiasm and god-heartedness.

Enthusiasm, derived from the Greek word "entheos," meaning "God in us," is a divine gift that animates our lives. Being in nature, a creation of our Creator, can enhance our zest for life. Jesus came to give us life abundantly, and His resurrection is the ultimate demonstration of life triumphing over trauma. While trauma is a powerful negative force, the resurrection of Jesus offers a counterbalance, providing post-resurrection strength discovery (PRSD) for His followers. This is the essence of zest for life and wholehearted living. Embrace the change today, step into the arena, and live with enthusiasm and purpose.

Key Takeaways:

1. The Fragility and Necessity of Joy: Joy is a fragile yet essential part of life, often overshadowed by our negativity bias. This bias makes us more sensitive to negative experiences than positive ones, affecting our relationships and perceptions. By focusing on character strengths like zest, we can cultivate joy and counteract this bias, leading to a more fulfilling life. [01:25]

2. The Power of Character Strengths: Emphasizing character strengths such as zest can lead to positive emotions and well-being. While negative emotions serve a purpose, they should not dominate our lives. By nurturing our strengths, we can experience greater engagement, health, and relational connections. [03:16]

3. Wholehearted Living Through Zest: Figures like Theodore Roosevelt and David exemplify zest and wholehearted living. Their lives demonstrate the vitality and energy that come from embracing enthusiasm and god-heartedness, inspiring us to live with similar vigor and purpose. [07:47]

4. Enthusiasm as a Divine Gift: Enthusiasm, meaning "God in us," is a divine gift that animates our lives. Being in nature, a creation of God, can enhance our zest for life, reminding us of the abundant life Jesus offers. This divine enthusiasm empowers us to live fully and purposefully. [09:46]

5. Resurrection as the Opposite of Trauma: While trauma is a powerful negative force, the resurrection of Jesus provides a counterbalance, offering post-resurrection strength discovery (PRSD) for His followers. This event demonstrates the triumph of life over death and invites us to live with zest and hope. [11:51]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:29] - The Opportunity for Change
- [00:43] - Prayer for Joy and Protection
- [01:12] - The Fragility of Joy
- [01:41] - Understanding Negativity Bias
- [02:50] - The Impact of Bad News
- [03:16] - Focusing on Character Strengths
- [04:11] - Embracing Zest for Life
- [04:45] - Theodore Roosevelt's Exuberance
- [06:48] - Wholehearted Living and David
- [09:00] - Enthusiasm and God in Us
- [10:02] - The Life-Giving Power of Jesus
- [11:01] - Trauma and Its Opposite
- [11:51] - Resurrection and New Strength
- [12:07] - Call to Action: Change Starts Today

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
1. John 10:10 - "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."
2. Psalm 18:29 - "With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall."
3. 2 Samuel 6:14 - "Wearing a linen ephod, David was dancing before the Lord with all his might."

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Observation Questions:

1. What does the phrase "shield the joyous" from the Anglican prayer suggest about the nature of joy? [00:43]
2. How does the sermon describe the impact of negativity bias on our emotions and relationships? [01:52]
3. What examples from the sermon illustrate the concept of zest or enthusiasm for life? [04:45]
4. How is the resurrection of Jesus presented as the opposite of trauma in the sermon? [11:51]

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Interpretation Questions:

1. In what ways does the sermon suggest that focusing on character strengths like zest can counteract negativity bias? [03:16]
2. How does the sermon use the lives of Theodore Roosevelt and David to exemplify wholehearted living? [07:47]
3. What does the sermon imply about the relationship between being in nature and experiencing zest for life? [10:02]
4. How does the concept of "post-resurrection strength discovery" (PRSD) challenge or enhance traditional views of trauma and recovery? [12:07]

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Application Questions:

1. Reflect on a recent situation where negativity bias affected your perception. How might focusing on character strengths have changed your response? [01:52]
2. Consider a time when you felt a lack of zest or enthusiasm. What practical steps can you take to cultivate more zest in your daily life? [04:11]
3. How can you incorporate the practice of "shielding the joyous" in your interactions with others this week? [00:43]
4. Identify a personal challenge that feels like a "stone wall." How can you draw inspiration from David's example to overcome it? [08:45]
5. What specific actions can you take to experience the "abundant life" that Jesus offers, as mentioned in John 10:10? [10:02]
6. How can you create moments of joy and enthusiasm in your family or community, similar to Roosevelt's lively presence? [06:20]
7. Reflect on a past trauma. How does the concept of resurrection as the opposite of trauma offer hope or a new perspective for healing? [11:51]

Devotional

Day 1: The Fragility and Necessity of Joy
Joy is a delicate yet vital aspect of our lives, often overshadowed by our natural tendency to focus on negativity. This negativity bias makes us more sensitive to negative experiences than positive ones, impacting our relationships and perceptions. By intentionally focusing on character strengths like zest, we can cultivate joy and counteract this bias, leading to a more fulfilling life. Joy is not just a fleeting emotion but a state of being that requires nurturing and protection. The Anglican prayer to "shield the joyous" serves as a reminder of the importance of safeguarding this precious emotion. [01:25]

"Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation." (Habakkuk 3:17-18, ESV)

Reflection: Identify a recent situation where you allowed negativity to overshadow joy. How can you intentionally cultivate joy in similar situations moving forward?


Day 2: The Power of Character Strengths
Emphasizing character strengths such as zest can lead to positive emotions and well-being. While negative emotions serve a purpose, they should not dominate our lives. By nurturing our strengths, we can experience greater engagement, health, and relational connections. Zest, passion, and enthusiasm for life are not just personality traits but are essential components of a life well-lived. They enable us to engage more deeply with the world around us and to form meaningful connections with others. [03:16]

"For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love." (2 Peter 1:5-7, ESV)

Reflection: What is one character strength you possess that you can focus on developing this week? How might this impact your relationships and overall well-being?


Day 3: Wholehearted Living Through Zest
Figures like Theodore Roosevelt and David exemplify zest and wholehearted living. Their lives demonstrate the vitality and energy that come from embracing enthusiasm and god-heartedness, inspiring us to live with similar vigor and purpose. Wholehearted living is about engaging with life fully, embracing both its challenges and its joys with equal enthusiasm. It is about living with a sense of purpose and passion that invigorates not only our own lives but also the lives of those around us. [07:47]

"And David danced before the Lord with all his might. And David was wearing a linen ephod. So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouting and with the sound of the horn." (2 Samuel 6:14-15, ESV)

Reflection: Consider an area of your life where you feel you are not living wholeheartedly. What steps can you take to bring more zest and enthusiasm into this area?


Day 4: Enthusiasm as a Divine Gift
Enthusiasm, meaning "God in us," is a divine gift that animates our lives. Being in nature, a creation of God, can enhance our zest for life, reminding us of the abundant life Jesus offers. This divine enthusiasm empowers us to live fully and purposefully. It is a reminder that we are not alone in our journey and that the divine presence within us is a source of strength and inspiration. [09:46]

"The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life." (Job 33:4, ESV)

Reflection: Spend time in nature this week and reflect on how it enhances your sense of enthusiasm and connection to the divine. How can you carry this sense of divine enthusiasm into your daily life?


Day 5: Resurrection as the Opposite of Trauma
While trauma is a powerful negative force, the resurrection of Jesus provides a counterbalance, offering post-resurrection strength discovery (PRSD) for His followers. This event demonstrates the triumph of life over death and invites us to live with zest and hope. The resurrection is not just a historical event but a present reality that empowers us to overcome the traumas and challenges of life with renewed strength and purpose. [11:51]

"For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his." (Romans 6:5, ESV)

Reflection: Reflect on a personal trauma or challenge you have faced. How can the resurrection of Jesus inspire you to discover new strength and hope in this area of your life?

Quotes

a remarkable thing is going to happen today you are going to change For Better or For Worse so why not better on purpose or by accident so why not on purpose change starts today because you'll never get this day again we're looking at character strengths and we begin the Journey of specific character strengths today I want to start with this beautiful prayer from the Anglican book of common prayer [00:00:20]

now the phrase that screams out of here is Shield the joyous I get the rest of them those who work or watch her weep those who sleep tend to sick give rest to the weary the dying the suffering but why the joyous and I think it's because we need Joy so badly and there's not enough joyous ones in our midst and joy in this world is a fragile thing it is a Candle in the Wind [00:01:09]

we all suffer from What's called the negativity bias that um bad news impacts us much more stronger emotionally in a negative Direction the good news does in a positive direction there's a social psychologist Roy Baumeister and he wrote an article years ago has been cited a ton of times simply called the bad is stronger than the good and he looks from one area in our lives to another one [00:01:54]

one of the discoveries is that when we look at character strengths when we focus on those qualities that God will help us to grow to become the persons that we want to be to develop moral fiber it leads us into positive emotions love joy peace gratitude and so on and that when we don't live with a focus on our character strengths we don't exercise them then we spend more time in negative emotions [00:03:11]

we need negative emotions if you've seen the movie Inside Out you know we need sadness we need anger we need guilt we need fear however they are basically short-term emotions that are are designed to alarm us to take action and the problem for many of us is the we are living with long-term depletion in emotions that are meant for short-term alertness [00:03:46]

Teddy Roosevelt Teddy is a great example of this quality born in 1958 into one of New York's wealthiest families Theodore Roosevelt seems to have burst into the world a full-throated exuberance from the earliest days of his life he exulted in life at age 10 he wrote to his mother with breathless enthusiasm what an excitement to have received your letter my mouth opened wide with astonishment when I heard how many flowers were sent to you [00:04:47]

Roosevelt years later was still jumping one debutante said he did not so much dance as hop when he became the president at the age of 42 he was the youngest and liveliest president in American history one reported from The New York Times wrote the president goes from one person to another always speaking with great animation gesturing freely in fact talking with his whole being mouth eyes forehead cheeks neck all taken their mobile Parts [00:05:22]

it's not the critic who counts not the man who points out where the strong man stumbled or the doer of Deeds could have done better rather the credit belongs to the man who actually is in the arena whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood who airs and comes short because there is no effort without error and shortcoming but who knows the great enthusiasm the great devotion who spends his life in a worthy cause [00:06:50]

David attracts attention by his Vigor his energy his wholeheartedness his god-heartedness in the middle of his wonderful Psalm 18 He shouts yes by Thee I can crush a troop and by my God I can leap over a wall the image of David vaulting the wall catches and holds my attention David running coming to a stone wall without hesitation leaping the wall continuing on his way running toward Goliath running from Seoul pursuing God meeting Jonathan rounding up stray sheep whatever but always running and leaping [00:08:26]

enthusiasm is a word that's given to us by the Greeks entheos God in us the reason that I'm outside right now is according to research one of the things that you can do to increase your zest for life today is just go outside there is something about being in creation because it was made by our creator and it is full of life and we are meant to be full of life [00:09:46]

there is a man who came to be the great life-giver and life was in him he was the light of the world he was the life of the world and for this they hung him on the cross now there's a lot that's written about trauma in our day that was the most traumatic event in the history of the world the Romans intended it to be so the Romans intended to traumatize their enemies [00:10:29]

there was an event that has permanently impacted for extreme good all the rest of human history and it is called Resurrection the opposite of trauma is resurrection and Jesus followers women first and then men experienced not PTSD but prsd post-resurrection strength discovery that's zest for life that is wholehearted living get outside get to the arena change starts today [00:11:53]

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Transcript
What was the most surprising thing in this sermon?
Were there any personal stories shared?