Joy
If a thing is free to be good it is also free
to be bad. And free will is what has made evil possible. Why, then, did God
give them free will? Because free will, though it makes evil possible, is also
the only thing that makes possible any love or goodness or joy worth
having. C. S. Lewis
Joy is not an option. I know there are days when I don’t feel much
joy. The stresses of life can be a huge
hindrance to having joy. This means that
it’s not just the individuals in this life who have the temperament for being
joyful. Each of us are called by God to
be joyful in everything we do.
The problem with having joy is that life
interferes. Sometimes we may have sin in
our life that takes away joy. An example
is when David confessed his sin of adultery he prayed, “Restore to me the joy
of Your salvation” and one of the most important parts of this passage is “Then
I will teach transgressors Your ways, and sinners shall be converted to
You.” David asks for restoration of joy
in his life so that he can bring others to God.
Sometimes our joy is removed from our lives
because of sin in our lives. It is hard
to have joy if we are concerned about how we hurt someone, or if we have a
sinful attitude such as envy, resentment, or a critical and unforgiving
spirit. All of these things will block
the joy in our lives.
The other hindrance to joy is that we place
our confidence in our good works or religious attainment. Our joy should be grounded in and focused on
the assurance of being with Christ one day and that our name is written in
heaven. If we focus too much on what we
are doing in God’s name we often allow ourselves to be the source of our joy
instead of Christ.
When God disciplines us it can be painful and
not a joyful experience. The thing is we
have to keep our sights on what God intends to do with that discipline. When we welcome God’s discipline it is with
the understanding that this is God’s way of getting rid of sin and its
habits. We have to remember that God
disciplines those he loves.
Trials can take our joy but the purpose of
them is to exercise our faith. Our faith
grows through trials. It is a choice to be joyful in everything. Choose joy.
Prayer for the Day:
Heavenly Father, I want to live a joyful life.
Please remind me of the joy that can be found in the trials of life and
also through Your loving discipline.
Help me to not get caught up in the things I do in your name but to
always remember the assurance I have in being with Christ one day.
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