Joy is a word that is seldom used today. Joy is a word that should describe christians regardless of their situation. Very few christians could be characterized with this word. And even fewer churches would be described as being joyful places.
Joy is different than happiness. We are happy when things go our way. Joy is a gift of the Holy Spirit and is often expressed even when things are going poorly. The apostles considered it a "joy to suffer for the sake of Christ." There is no happiness in suffering, yet suffering for Christ brings about great unexplainable joy.
Barnabas and Paul were literally kicked out of the city for sharing the gospel. Their fellow countrymen were the ones who kicked them out and rejected them. How did they feel? "They were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit."
Are we experiencing joy in our lives? Are we choosing to obey what God has told us to do?
No comments:
Post a Comment