The angels announced the Good News of Jesus’ birth to some shepherds, “We bring you good tidings of great JOY…” I wonder if they would have put it that way if they could have seen our world in the year 2011! It seems life is so full of action and activity, that slowing down enough to experience peace and joy is a stretch. Yet, they used that word… JOY. I’m glad they did.
You see, JOY is a gift from God that He places inside us, regardless of all the activity and confusion that may be pounding on the outside. JOY is divine in nature. It is not dependent on anything except the love of God and the hope we have in what He has promised. We receive JOY when we come into relationship with God and He then begins to allow His Fruit to take root and grow in us. JOY is one of those things that grows in the life of a child of God as they live in Christ.
Happiness is what a human experiences when pleasant things are “happening” to him/her. If my body is strong and I’m on the receiving end of good things… happiness ensues. If I get some good news and have a good meal in front of me… happiness, again. But, happiness can be as fleeting and short-lived as a sunny day in Florida. Clouds, wind and rain can come along and obscure our sunshine and put an end to that day’s happiness. But, JOY… that’s something else. JOY can’t be touched by clouds and wind, by rain or bad news. JOY lives in the rain, and often becomes more intense when our world has turned upside down.
So, now that the holidays are here… enjoy the happiness that comes with the season, but live in the JOY that permeates your very heart. For truly, “the JOY of the Lord is your strength…”
JC
No comments:
Post a Comment