Pastor’s Corner: “Holding on to Joy”
Romans 15:13 (NIV) – 13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
You may not be consciously aware of it, but the enemy is working behind the scenes to steal your greatest strength as a Christian: YOUR HOPE AND JOY! It doesn’t happen all at once, but every day the enemy slowly chips away at your faith. In these times of uncertainty and turmoil it is easy to become overwhelmed and lose sight of Jesus. Before we realize it, we are not praying anymore – we have stopped reading our Bibles – we aren’t going to church or even watching church from home and we are becoming more distant from others and God. Our hearts start to harden and hope or joy is nowhere to be found no matter how hard we try! Do you recognize any of this in your life right now?
Beware the gradual loss of your joy and wonder. Attacks on our faith rarely come as a frontal assault—more often they grow like ivy, slowly covering our defenses and blocking out the light. Day by day, the joy you’ve known slips away, and bitterness fills the cracks.
How can we hold on to our Joy? Because it is yours! It is given to you through faith Christ Jesus.
- Make it a habit to praise God for something new each day. It’s much harder to lose your joy when you’re looking for reasons to be joyful.
- Lead by serving those who follow you. This is a cliché in the church because it’s true. We lead others best when we serve them and do the things no one else wants to do. Jesus came as a missionary to our world and served the sick, dying, and hungry. He cleaned nasty feet, touched lepers, and made mud pies to heal a blind man. He didn’t have to. He didn’t need to. He wanted to. Joyfully serve and show others what loving people with reckless abandon means. (Did you notice I put that joy thing in here again?)
- Don’t be surprised by sin.Sin isn’t a popular term. It’s not politically correct, and many people prefer to act like sin is just a social program away from being eradicated. But sin will smack you in the face from time to time—both your own shameful failures and the failures of others. When that happens, you may be tempted to be discouraged. Don’t be. God knows our sinful nature and loves us anyways! He continues to love us through our sin until we’re healed and clean. Because God is faithful in His love and grace no matter how bad sin becomes in us or the world, we can always be hopeful and filled with joy! The love of Jesus at the cross breaks every chain and grip of sin….every time without fail. This is something to be joyful about!
- Remember your calling no matter what happens. You may already know or suspect God’s call for you. Keep His calling in mind. After all, there’s a reason Paul had to remind Timothy of his calling—it’s easy to question when times are difficult. You are loved and significant to God. The power of Holy Spirit will achieve His great work in you and through you by your obedience to His call. Go where God calls. Go scared if you have to (and you may), but go. Allow His joy to flow through you in obedience!
- God’s not finished with us yet. Sometimes news stories about war and death may make you think that God’s finished with humanity. Web articles may make you feel like you’re the only one left who hasn’t bowed to Baal. And TV shows and movies may make you wonder how things could get so bad. But God’s not finished with us. He’s never surprised by anything and the cross is more than enough for anything the enemy throws at us. Because Jesus and the Cross has the final WORD, we can be hope filled and joyful!
- Finally, love. Above all else—and this may sound elementary—love like you have no time left to love. Love by giving your life away. Love by pouring time and energy into others. Love by sharing what you have. Love by putting God first. True JOY is always the companion of Love!
GUARD THE HOPE AND JOY YOU HAVE BEEN GIVEN IN CHRIST JESUS! It is an immeasurable gift from God that we can take for granted. Only when it has been taken or given away will we realize its true value and worth.
In His Grace,
Pastor Hamilton