“Thou wilt show me the path of life: in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures forevermore.”
When a lot of people think about the Christian faith, the word “joy” does not come to mind. This is true in part because they have never given the Christian faith a chance in their lives. It is also true because they do not see joy coming from us. A lot of what they hear about is all the “fussing going on down at the church.” A lot of what they see is that we are not letting the joy of Christ in our lives be seen. We need to turn that joy loose on the people around us. Christian joy is very important, and we need to let it show. Christian joy is important because it is evidence that Christ lives in us. If we really have the joy of Christ in us, it should find its way to surface for people to see. Christian joy should be evident on our faces, in our attitudes and in our relationships with people in every aspect of their lives. One thing that should set us apart is not that we wear our religion on our sleeves, so to speak, but that we live joyful lives. We do not defend the Christian faith as well by arguing about it as much as that we live it. Joy is a great part of living the Christian life. Christian joy is important because it encourages us to worship the Lord. Someone said that many people in church services do not appear to worshiping the risen Christ; rather, they appear to be mourning His crucifixion. True worshipers are joyful because they know that Jesus is alive and well. The reason for that is the fact that Jesus lives in them and is a daily companion. Not everyone expresses that joy in the same way, but it should be expressed. Some worshipers express their joy vocally. Some express their joy with radiant smiles. Some express their joy quietly. I normally express my joy with tears of joy. I can tell when the Holy Spirit is really at work, and when the joy of the Lord is rising in my heart when I feel a “lump in my throat.” These are not tears of mourning but tears of joy. Christian joy is important because it has an effect on other people. It is not far-fetched to say that Christian joy is contagious. Christ’s joy is one of the best tools that He has given us for witnessing to people who do not know Him. The plain fact is that people want to be around people who are joyful. It is certain that churches that are growing are churches that are spreading the joy of Jesus. Christ’s joy is evident in the daily lives of members of those churches. Christ’s joy is evident in the welcome given to visitors to those churches. Christ’s joy is evident in the preaching and teaching of those churches. This definitely does not mean that all that church’s preaching and teaching is of the “feel good” variety. It means that the preaching and teaching is laced with Christ-given joy, even when it is negative. Ask yourself this question: “If every member of our church shared Christ’s joy like I do, would we be a growing, alive church? Bro. Joe
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AuthorDr. Joe Beauchamp is the author of this blog and website. Categories
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September 2021
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