…so that through my being with you again your joy in Christ Jesus will overflow on account of me.
Can you think of a more refreshing and constructive objective for your day than to be one who increases the joy of another brother or sister in Christ? To be one who causes the joy of Jesus to overflow in another person’s life? Can you sense the smile that doing so would bring to the heart of our Lord?
Today’s meditation is a reminder for some and a fresh exhortation for others because during my message last Sunday I asked our congregation to make this week “Joy of the Lord” week and to make it their objective to spread the joy of the Lord to others. So for those of you who were there, this is a midweek reminder. And you don’t have to limit yourself to just one person or attempt.
Joy is not light spiritual fare. It is not in any way inferior to any other spiritual attribute. It is important to God and important to us. Important to God because it is an indicator of faith. Important to us because it lubricates the gears of all our Christian activity. Without it, spirituality becomes a grind. Perhaps that is why one of the last things Jesus prayed for His disciples as He pondered His imminent death was that …they may have the full measure of My joy within them (John 17:13).
The joy of the Lord is not a feeling, necessarily, it is an inner spiritual condition that is a mix of gratitude, hope, security and confidence that is rooted in the belief that God is with us and for us. This belief can be fortified by prayerful meditation on the Lord’s promises, sharing His promises with others, remembering the Lord’s awesome attributes in praise and giving thanks for the blessings we otherwise take for granted. It can also be stimulated by intentionally serving others.
So go ahead, call someone, write someone, visit someone, pray with someone, do a “just because for someone” and make it your purpose to increase their joy in Christ Jesus.
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