“These things have I spoken unto you, that My joy might remain in you, and that your joy be full.”
This is a verse that I refer to often in my own life, in my preaching and in my writing. I have probably referred to it several times in blogs that I have written over the years. I can’t say that I always succeed, but I try to live joyfully because of the fact that Jesus wants me to be joyful. Here is the amazing fact: We already have joy, we just need to claim it. We can claim the joy that we already have in Jesus, for Jesus has given us His joy. Joy is also listed in Galatians 5:22 as part of the “fruit of the Spirit.” It is a gift from God; therefore, we already possess it. I have discovered that the joy of Jesus is at work even when things are not going well. We do not necessarily have to feel it; we just need to claim it. It is a fact that we are not always joyful, but we always have joy. Why do we fail to claim this joy? Could it be that we prefer being angry and “out of sorts” with other people. Could it be that we prefer griping and complaining to rejoicing? (Just asking) We can save ourselves, and our churches, a lot of heartache if we will simply claim the joy that we have in Jesus. After we claim the joy of Jesus, we need to share it with others. We are more likely to claim Jesus’ joy for ourselves if we will commit to sharing it with others. Sharing the blessings of Jesus with others makes His blessings more meaningful to us. Sharing the joy of Jesus brings abundant blessings into our lives. I think that this is part of the “abundant life” that Jesus promised us. It is important that we share the joy of Jesus in this world. There is a lot of enmity and animosity in our world today. This is true in politics, but it is also true in homes, schools and churches. We need to share His joy for the good of our fellow Christians and for the good of people in general. Think of the difference that it would make in your church if every member decided to share the joy of Jesus in church fellowship and in the community at large. Your church’s sense of fellowship would grow, and it is possible that your church’s membership would grow. People tend to gravitate toward joy. At least I know that I do. Joy is contagious, and brings smiles to faces and songs into hearts. Just ask yourself if you prefer smiling faces to long faces? I discovered this principle in my preaching several years ago. I wasn’t claiming joy and was not sharing it with my congregation. God convicted me that I should really enjoy sharing biblical truth with others, and that I should give joy to others in it as well. This did not mean that I would become “Dr. Feelgood.” It meant that even when I preached a negative sermon, joy would come through. Jesus’ joy knows no bounds. Joy is more effective in helping people change than merely fussing at them. We can rejoice in the joy of Jesus. Philippians 4:4 reminds us to: “Rejoice in the Lord always.” And to emphasize his point Paul added: “And again I say rejoice…” It is remarkable when we remember that Paul was wrongfully imprisoned in Rome when he wrote these words about joy. If Paul could rejoice in those circumstances, we should be able to rejoice in the circumstances of our lives. Rejoicing is the natural result of joy. (You might say “duh” here.) Rejoicing is joy that has risen to the top of our hearts and begs to get out. Is it possible that we do not rejoice more because we do not claim the joy of Jesus in us? Let me meddle in your life a little. Do you rejoice daily? Do you rejoice in church services? Do you sometimes rejoice simply because you have to? Answering these questions can help you determine whether or not you are claiming and sharing Jesus’ joy in you. Claim the joy of Jesus and share it. You will see that it will make a difference in your life. Bro. Joe
1 Comment
Margaret M Jones
2/8/2016 09:00:08 am
Agree, ....joy is an important part of the Christian life. "This joy that I have, the world didn't give it to me......."
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AuthorDr. Joe Beauchamp is the author of this blog and website. Categories
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