Galatians 5:22-26 (NET) 22But the fruit of the Spirit is love: joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24Now those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25If we live by the Spirit, let us also behave in accordance with the Spirit. 26Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, being jealous of one another.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NET) 16Always rejoice, 17constantly pray, 19in everything give thanks.
It is easy to picture Jesus full of joy as the children gathered around him. It is easy to imagine the smile on his face as he blessed each one. At the other end of the spectrum, how could there be joy knowing that he would soon be beaten, bloodied, and hanging on a cross for the sins he did not commit but for sins that belonged to us? How can we reconcile these thoughts in our mind?
Not all of life’s experiences are joyful. Some bring pain, suffering, and grief. How do we demonstrate the love of Christ to others even in the midst of circumstances that are not at all joyful? I think we must understand that it is impossible to be joyful in all circumstances as long as we are dependent upon our definition of joy.
Nehemiah 8:10 (NET) ...“For this day is holy to our LORD. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”
Philippians 4:4 (NET) Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I say, rejoice!
Our ultimate source of joy is not our own; it comes from the LORD. The joy of the LORD is our strength. Yes, we can easily express joy when good things happen, but we can also express a joyful (i.e., non-grumbling, non-complaining) attitude even during difficult or stressful times. Why? Because no adverse circumstance can rob us of the joy we have in Christ. Knowing our Heavenly Father and being confident in salvation through Christ brings a source of joy that cannot be diminished by adverse circumstances. And this type of joy will speak volumes about who we are in Christ. This type of joy demonstrates a depth of love to those around us who desperately need something beyond what the world has to offer. Yes, it is the joy of the LORD that becomes our strength. We can be joyful for others during their happy experiences; but we can also demonstrate our love to them by sharing with them the strength of joy that comes from knowing Christ as Savior. Helping others discover a Heavenly Father who loves and cares deeply for them can be a way for us to love others.
Gracious Heavenly Father,
We thank you for times of joy when life’s events are happy. Teach us to rely on your joy to be our strength in difficult situations. Let those around us see that we find our joy in You.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
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Email: Dotty Willmon, writefrommyheartblog@gmail.com
Scriptures quotations marked NET are taken from the New English Translation Bible® http://netbible.com copyright © 1996, 2019 used with permission from Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.
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