September 20, 2026: How to Find Joy

How to find joy

This Gospel always gets people upset. But remember—it’s a story, a parable. It didn’t happen; Jesus made it up. The deeper meaning isn’t really about wages. It’s about God’s grace, abundance, and mercy. God’s generosity isn’t just for long-term, diehard believers. It’s for everyone—no matter when they decide to grow in faith.

So, another form of God’s generosity is joy. Jesus says in John’s Gospel, “Let my joy be in you and your joy be complete.” I’ve been thinking about joy lately. Joy is different from happiness or excitement. Those depend on circumstances. Joy is deeper. More enduring. More subtle. I came up with three ways I can experience joy:

#1 Gratitude. Gratitude is more than simply being thankful. It’s recognizing that something is valuable to us—and then realizing it is a gift. We didn’t buy it, earn it, or necessarily deserve it. It was simply given. Grateful living is becoming aware that every moment is a gift—and that every moment contains opportunities. It’s like something we learned as children when crossing the street: Stop. Look. Go.

Too often, we rush through life. We don’t stop. We don’t become quiet. So stop. Be still. And then look around. Open your eyes, your senses, your heart. Notice the opportunities right in front of you—to love, serve, encourage, or help someone. And then go. Affirm someone, give a compliment, give an affirmation.

Br. David Steindl-Rast says, “The root of joy is gratefulness.” He also says, “If you are grateful, you are not fearful. If you are not fearful, you are not violent.” Gratitude moves us from a sense of scarcity to a sense of enough. And when we believe there is enough, we become more willing to share.

#2 Awe. Studies have shown that awe can reduce stress and increase life satisfaction. I call that joy. Awe happens when we encounter something so beautiful, vast, or mysterious that it takes us beyond ourselves. It connects us to the world—and ultimately to God. It helps us put our problems into prospection.  

Of course, we can experience awe standing before a mountain or the ocean. But how about this blade of grass… or that tree? Sometimes we lose our ability to be amazed. And you know you’re getting old when you’ve lost your ability to experience awe! But maybe getting older shouldn’t mean becoming less amazed. Maybe it should mean becoming more amazed—because we’ve lived long enough to realize how extraordinary life really is.

There is also something called “moral beauty”—the wonder we experience when we see someone do something noble, generous, or courageous. Maybe that’s because, for a moment, we’re seeing a little bit of God. So notice something beautiful this week. Be amazed by something ordinary. And maybe do something beautiful for someone else.

#3 Moderation. This is a weird one, but it’s powerful. For me, when I moderate my eating or drinking, I feel more joyful. The same is true with my speech—especially gossip and complaining.

And sometimes we need to moderate what we take in. Turn off the news. Put down the phone. Step away from social media. Not completely—just moderate it. Because what we continually consume can begin to consume us. For some people their cell phones are the cause of their isolation and loneliness.

Moderation isn’t about deprivation. It’s about making room. When I complain less, there’s more room to notice what is good. When I consume less, there’s more room to experience the people and world right in front of me. And maybe that connects with today’s Gospel. We don’t need to keep score. God’s grace is abundant. There is enough. So, three simple precepts for joy:

Gratitude. Stop. Look. Go.

Awe. Pay attention to the wonder around you.

Moderation. Make some room for joy.

In today’s Gospel, the workers who came early were keeping score. They thought they deserved more because they had worked longer. And maybe we do the same thing. We keep score. We compare. We think, “I’ve worked harder. I’ve done more. I deserve more.” But Jesus reminds us that God’s grace isn’t a paycheck. It’s a gift.

The workers who came at the last hour received the same generosity as those who came first. That’s how God is. There is no shortage of grace. No shortage of mercy. No shortage of love. Perhaps joy begins when we stop keeping score and start receiving the gift. That is . .



Gratitude for what you’ve been given.

Awe at the God who keeps giving.

And moderation that makes room to receive it.

The vineyard is God’s kingdom. And the invitation is still being extended—to each of us, no matter when we arrive. So here’s your challenge for this . . . think about joy and what brings you joy (which is different than happiness or a thrilling event). Maybe to use my ways for joy. Or find your own. 

Maybe joy begins when we stop asking, “What do I deserve?” and start saying, “Look what God has given me.”