I wrote a similar post last year, so I decided to hopefully start a tradition of a post every Christmas Eve! It also helps that there's a specific theme I wanted to write about. So welcome back, and thanks to all who read!
I went to my co-worker's church this past Sunday to watch him preach, which was really cool to see him in an environment outside of work. They lit the final advent candle, and he preached on the concept of joy, which is what the last advent candle stands for. He reminded us of that...I know I forget what it stands for year after year haha. Everyone seems to be in the "Christmas spirit" and giving freely and cheerfully, so on the surface it seems like it shouldn't be so hard to be joyful. Or is it?
There was one statement that Adam (my co-worker) made that really stuck out to me during his sermon: "Joy is a decision". I wasn't sure how I felt about that at first. I mean, we have eternal life in Christ, shouldn't that be enough to make us joyful all the time? And more often than not, why doesn't it?
But I thought about this, and I thought of the notoriously short passage of 1 Thessalonians 5:17 - "Rejoice evermore", or for the NIV folks, "Be joyful always." Here, Paul phrases this as a command and a challenge. Rejoice. Be joyful. Not "you're going to be joyful all the time." So joy DOES end up being a decision. Let me tell you a little more about how joy is a decision. Right now it's hard to even concentrate writing this because my upstairs neighbors sound like their dog is about to come through the ceiling, as per usual. Plus, the female neighbor upstairs yells at anything and everything, but mostly her dog and fiancee. So right now my snap reaction isn't to knock on their door and give them a holly-jolly greeting, we'll just say that.
But the bigger thing happened about 2 weeks ago when I lost my wallet. Don't know how or where I lost it, but it still hasn't turned up and probably never will. Not that one time is better than another for losing your wallet, but this was very inopportune. Bills were due, Christmas shopping had to be done, I was almost out of gas, and I was sitting in the parking lot of Karns wanting to buy fruit for the game I was leading at church, which was in 1 1/2 hours at this point. To add to that, I live alone...my wallet is my only means to pay for things. Granted, I had plenty of people willing to help me out, but I was a little flustered. How many of you would've lost your minds at this point? Knowing me and my tendencies, I probably should have. But thank God for bringing me as far as He has, because I stepped back from everything (after operating in frenzy mode for the next hour trying to get the game ready for AWANA), and I had a decision to make. And I made my decision...I was going to be joyful. I knew that God was going to take care of me one way or another. Even if I didn't have friends to offer me money and I somehow died from losing my wallet (I know, drastic), God still would've taken care of me. He would've just brought me to Heaven! Cool, now I NEVER need a wallet!
And this is the joy we all need to have. Not saying I'm a perfect example...far from it. But in this situation I made a decision to be joyful because God has already given me the promise of Heaven. That's all I need, and it's more than enough! "Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory." - 1 Peter 1:8. "And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour" - Luke 1:47. Pick pretty much any of the Psalms...joy is all through them. Even the infamous Psalm 51, all about David's sin with Bathsheba. Yes, he cries out, "For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me" - 51:3. But read on, "Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice" - 51:8. Keep going..."Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit." - 51:12. Then he ends with verses 16-19, all of which basically say "God, have your way. Do your will." I can see David already having a sense of joy that while he cries out, he KNOWS God is going to approve of his cry and bless him for it. Listen to what James says...1:2 (emp. added) "My brethren, count it all JOY when ye fall into divers temptations," Why? 1:3 - Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience." Patience. The ability to handle more with superior grace and understanding. Like I've been feeling God helping me with. And here's one more little aside, something else that caught my eye. True joy only comes from God. We can't get it ourselves and we can't find it in anything else. Here's what I mean..."Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased." - Psalm 4:7. That's the fancy King James way of saying, alcohol ain't gonna getcha no joy! I know plenty of people who love to get drunk to forget about life's problems. Sure, it may make you happy for a time, if you even remember it. But joy beats happiness every day of the week. You can choose to argue that if you'd like, but taste and see that the Lord is good, then come back and tell me which you prefer.
Well, it's 2 hours before Christmas gets here. I know in my own life, quite a bit has happened that could easily tear down my joy if I let it. Joy IS a decision. Remember Jesus' birth, death, and resurrection. Celebrate the fact that God Incarnate came to earth to save our helpless little sinful souls from a quick journey to Hell. So next time you see your family arguing over the dinner table, next time someone cuts you off driving, next time someone almost nails you with their cart in the grocery store, make a decision. The decision DOES affect you and any involved parties. When December 25th comes, choose joy. When December 26th comes, keep choosing joy. Watch your world and the world around you change slowly but ever so surely. Choose joy from the only place you can: the cross of Jesus Christ. Merry Christmas everyone. Celebrate! OUR LORD IS BORN!!!!!!!
I went to my co-worker's church this past Sunday to watch him preach, which was really cool to see him in an environment outside of work. They lit the final advent candle, and he preached on the concept of joy, which is what the last advent candle stands for. He reminded us of that...I know I forget what it stands for year after year haha. Everyone seems to be in the "Christmas spirit" and giving freely and cheerfully, so on the surface it seems like it shouldn't be so hard to be joyful. Or is it?
There was one statement that Adam (my co-worker) made that really stuck out to me during his sermon: "Joy is a decision". I wasn't sure how I felt about that at first. I mean, we have eternal life in Christ, shouldn't that be enough to make us joyful all the time? And more often than not, why doesn't it?
But I thought about this, and I thought of the notoriously short passage of 1 Thessalonians 5:17 - "Rejoice evermore", or for the NIV folks, "Be joyful always." Here, Paul phrases this as a command and a challenge. Rejoice. Be joyful. Not "you're going to be joyful all the time." So joy DOES end up being a decision. Let me tell you a little more about how joy is a decision. Right now it's hard to even concentrate writing this because my upstairs neighbors sound like their dog is about to come through the ceiling, as per usual. Plus, the female neighbor upstairs yells at anything and everything, but mostly her dog and fiancee. So right now my snap reaction isn't to knock on their door and give them a holly-jolly greeting, we'll just say that.
But the bigger thing happened about 2 weeks ago when I lost my wallet. Don't know how or where I lost it, but it still hasn't turned up and probably never will. Not that one time is better than another for losing your wallet, but this was very inopportune. Bills were due, Christmas shopping had to be done, I was almost out of gas, and I was sitting in the parking lot of Karns wanting to buy fruit for the game I was leading at church, which was in 1 1/2 hours at this point. To add to that, I live alone...my wallet is my only means to pay for things. Granted, I had plenty of people willing to help me out, but I was a little flustered. How many of you would've lost your minds at this point? Knowing me and my tendencies, I probably should have. But thank God for bringing me as far as He has, because I stepped back from everything (after operating in frenzy mode for the next hour trying to get the game ready for AWANA), and I had a decision to make. And I made my decision...I was going to be joyful. I knew that God was going to take care of me one way or another. Even if I didn't have friends to offer me money and I somehow died from losing my wallet (I know, drastic), God still would've taken care of me. He would've just brought me to Heaven! Cool, now I NEVER need a wallet!
And this is the joy we all need to have. Not saying I'm a perfect example...far from it. But in this situation I made a decision to be joyful because God has already given me the promise of Heaven. That's all I need, and it's more than enough! "Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory." - 1 Peter 1:8. "And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour" - Luke 1:47. Pick pretty much any of the Psalms...joy is all through them. Even the infamous Psalm 51, all about David's sin with Bathsheba. Yes, he cries out, "For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me" - 51:3. But read on, "Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice" - 51:8. Keep going..."Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit." - 51:12. Then he ends with verses 16-19, all of which basically say "God, have your way. Do your will." I can see David already having a sense of joy that while he cries out, he KNOWS God is going to approve of his cry and bless him for it. Listen to what James says...1:2 (emp. added) "My brethren, count it all JOY when ye fall into divers temptations," Why? 1:3 - Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience." Patience. The ability to handle more with superior grace and understanding. Like I've been feeling God helping me with. And here's one more little aside, something else that caught my eye. True joy only comes from God. We can't get it ourselves and we can't find it in anything else. Here's what I mean..."Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased." - Psalm 4:7. That's the fancy King James way of saying, alcohol ain't gonna getcha no joy! I know plenty of people who love to get drunk to forget about life's problems. Sure, it may make you happy for a time, if you even remember it. But joy beats happiness every day of the week. You can choose to argue that if you'd like, but taste and see that the Lord is good, then come back and tell me which you prefer.
Well, it's 2 hours before Christmas gets here. I know in my own life, quite a bit has happened that could easily tear down my joy if I let it. Joy IS a decision. Remember Jesus' birth, death, and resurrection. Celebrate the fact that God Incarnate came to earth to save our helpless little sinful souls from a quick journey to Hell. So next time you see your family arguing over the dinner table, next time someone cuts you off driving, next time someone almost nails you with their cart in the grocery store, make a decision. The decision DOES affect you and any involved parties. When December 25th comes, choose joy. When December 26th comes, keep choosing joy. Watch your world and the world around you change slowly but ever so surely. Choose joy from the only place you can: the cross of Jesus Christ. Merry Christmas everyone. Celebrate! OUR LORD IS BORN!!!!!!!
