Real Joy and the Right to Pursue It!
By Julia Fowler, Worship Arts Pastor
It is said that as Benjamin Franklin concluded a stirring speech on the guarantees of the Constitution, a heckler shouted, "Aw, them words don't mean nothin' at all. Where's all the happiness you say it guarantees us?"
So it is with the pursuit of our own hapiness or as scripture describes it, joy.
But where does this joy come from and how to we pursue it? I believe Philippians 2 gives us our best indicator. Consider these words carefully: "1If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. 3Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves." Could this be where true joy is developed? Out of humility, gentleness, kindness, doing good, being like-minded, filled with the Spirit, tender and compassionate to all people. What's even more astonishing to me is that when we act in this manner we are Christ's joy! That is incredible. We complete His joy when we love and do not judge, when we support and do not criticize, when we think, when we act and when our love is like His!
I challenge you to take a spiritual inventory of your personal level of joy. If it's lacking in any area, I would suggest that you consider again what the scripture tells us brings complete joy to the Father. Perhaps that will give you an indicator of the area's you need to work on.
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