JOHN 15:11 – These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.
THEME OF THE DAY: SHOULD WE HAVE TO BE QUIET? The story went like this – A poor little street girl was taken ill one Christmas and carried to the hospital. While she was there, she heard the story of Jesus, the Gospel, of Him coming into the world to save us. She believed. One day she whispered to the nurse, “I’m having a real good time here. I suppose I’ll have to go away just as soon as I get well, but I’ll take the good time along with me especially about Jesus” She then asked the nurse, “Do you know Jesus and about Him being born at Christmas?” “Yes,” replied the nurse. The little girl stopped her with a finger to her mouth in the “sh-sh-sh” sign and said, “Don’t talk anymore.” Then she followed up, “I thought you looked like you didn’t know Him and I was going to tell you.” The now puzzled nurse quizzed, “Why, how do I look?” The insightful little new believer in Christ responded, “Oh, just like most folks, kind of glum, sad and unhappy. I think you should never look glum, sad, and unhappy if you knew Jesus was born.”
Hmm . . . out of the mouths of babes and straight to our hearts! Let’s shift the story. We are the nurse. Would the little girl notice a distinct lack of what Jesus promises His people would characterize their relationship with Him – joy – prompting her to tell us to be quiet and not let people know we are Christians?
Joy is critical to Christian living and Christian witness. It is a part of the cluster in the Fruit of the Spirit – The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law (Galatians 5:22-23). It is also what distinguishes us from unsaved people. Unsaved people only know happiness, not joy, and that based on changing circumstances. The joy the Christian gets from Christ is not determined or sustained by circumstances. Don’t be deceived. Our joy in the Lord is not some giddy experience of happiness. It is power. It is Christ in us and lived out daily by us by faith. And what people see of us – joy in our face, speech, actions, and attitudes has a huge impact on our witness for Jesus. Joy validates the message of Jesus. Lack of joy confuses the message of Jesus.
So how may we know more and more of this joy? For the sake of space, let’s simply identify three ways. They are found in the opening verses of the Apostle John’s first letter – That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us— that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete (1 John 1:1-4). John writes his letter so that our joy might be full. His letter points us to three sources of that joy – fellowship with God, fellowship with other believers, and a life immersed inwardly and outwardly in God’s Word. Seek these, and all three for they cannot be separated. As we do, we won’t need to remain quiet. The joy of the Lord will be “heard” and seen loud and clear from our lives.
PRAYER: “Father, forgive me when I allow the world and circumstances to quench the joy Your Son came to give me.”
QUOTE: “Jesus gives joy, not happiness. Joy comes by abiding in Him. Happiness is circumstantial and changes.”
Because of Him,
Pastor Jim