Is is possible to have joy "in" this world? The Bible says we are not to be "of" the world but we are live "in" the world to make a difference in other peoples lives. It seems like many people strive to have happiness but when it comes to joy, the is not much to be said. We are not quite sure what it means and how we are supposed to attain it.
I had a buddy Blane who said one time, "I may not be happy, but I still have joy". It was a comment that I will never forget. it didn't make much sense at the time and would take me several years to figure out. (I am still trying to live it out!). He was simply telling me and the guys that were meeting together, that in his current stage of life he was not happy, but he had joy. He had the joy of the Lord as his strength.
Our relationships that we have can be a source of joy in our lives.
The most important relationship that we have is our relationship with Christ. Jesus says in John 15:4-5, "remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." We are only branches while he is the life-giving vine. We have the freewill to stay connected in Him. If we choose not to, then we are saying we can fend for ourselves.
The other way the joy of Christ can be displayed is through our relationships with other people. Paul tells us in Philippians 1:3 "I thank God every time I remember you." We are to put others in our thoughts and thank God for them. Just because we are not in the same physical place as someone else, its still good to think about them offer up thanks to God. This brings Joy to our hearts.
Joy requires surrender to self and an intentional sacrifice to think of others ahead of ourselves. God wants the joy that His Spirit gives to be displayed in the world so that others can see him....and one day know Him!!
I had a buddy Blane who said one time, "I may not be happy, but I still have joy". It was a comment that I will never forget. it didn't make much sense at the time and would take me several years to figure out. (I am still trying to live it out!). He was simply telling me and the guys that were meeting together, that in his current stage of life he was not happy, but he had joy. He had the joy of the Lord as his strength.
Our relationships that we have can be a source of joy in our lives.
The most important relationship that we have is our relationship with Christ. Jesus says in John 15:4-5, "remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." We are only branches while he is the life-giving vine. We have the freewill to stay connected in Him. If we choose not to, then we are saying we can fend for ourselves.
The other way the joy of Christ can be displayed is through our relationships with other people. Paul tells us in Philippians 1:3 "I thank God every time I remember you." We are to put others in our thoughts and thank God for them. Just because we are not in the same physical place as someone else, its still good to think about them offer up thanks to God. This brings Joy to our hearts.
Joy requires surrender to self and an intentional sacrifice to think of others ahead of ourselves. God wants the joy that His Spirit gives to be displayed in the world so that others can see him....and one day know Him!!
