Grace and peace, my friends. I pray this finds you well.

One day last week, my neighbor shared a story that has stuck with me. He had recently stepped outside his home and noticed the faint smell of gas. Concerned, he did the right thing and called the gas company. Not long after that call, a technician arrived and began inspecting the pipes. But what happened next surprised my neighbor. Instead of using a high-tech gadget, the technician reached into his bag and pulled out a bottle of good, old-fashioned Joy dishwashing liquid.

Curious, my neighbor asked, “Why Joy?”

The technician smiled and said, “Nothing identifies and shows us the leaks quite like Joy.”

That statement stuck with me.

In Philippians 4:4, Paul (in shackles and chained to a prison guard) writes, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” It’s a bold command – one that calls us to apply joy daily, not just when life is easy, but even in difficult seasons. Why? Because joy, like that dish soap, has a way of revealing what’s hidden. It exposes the places where we might possibly be leaking faith, gratitude and trust.

The truth is, we all have “leaks” – worries, frustrations or struggles that drain our spirit. But when we choose to apply the joy of the Lord, something powerful happens. We begin to see our circumstances through a different lens. We shift from grumbling to gratitude, from despair to hope.

So, what if today, you made the decision to generously apply a healthy amount of joy to your daily activities? In your conversations, your work, your worship – let joy be the filter through which you live. Not a fleeting happiness based on circumstances, but a deep, abiding joy found in Christ.

Because nothing reveals and restores quite like joy.

– Rev. Mark Sorensen