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Listen while you read: "In The Cross Of Christ I Glory"1
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On a recent Sunday morning, I noticed one of our newer church members walking in the door. I greeted him with, "Oh, good, the Amen Corner is here! I miss you when you're gone." He and his mother sit right up front — none of this back row stuff for them — and he is very vocal in his responses to both the pastor's sermons and the music, either calling out in his deep voice, "Amen!" or "That's right!" or freely sharing his hearty laughter when it's appropriate. Ours is not a church culture that produces many hearty amens, so he's added a fresh, new element to our services.
He's probably in his 40s or 50s and lives with his seemingly frail, elderly mother. At first glance, one wouldn't think that they have much cause for joy. They don't appear to have an abundance of financial resources, and he must have a physical disability, as he uses a walker and holds himself as though there might be other problems. But those mobility issues don't stop either of them from joyfully playing with the pastor's three young children in the lobby of the church long after the morning service is over.
I have much to learn from the joy exhibited by this gentleman and his mother. There are mornings when I walk into church on Sunday focused on my aches and pains and how much sleep that I didn't have the night before. When someone asks, "How are you this morning?" I reply, "Well, I'm here." Hardly the joyful attitude that I should have when I'm coming to worship with God's people!
Happiness and joy are not synonyms; happiness relies on circumstances, whereas joy relies on our hope in Christ.
When Jesus was in the upper room with His disciples, preparing them for His impending death, He gave them many reasons for joy. Here are just a few of them.
- I am going [to My Father's home] to prepare a place for you. (John 14:2b NLT)
- I am leaving you with a gift — peace of mind and heart. (John 14:27a NLT)
- I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love. (John 15:9 NLT)
- I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow! (John 15:11 NLT)
The apostle Paul insists that joy is not a suggestion.
Philippians 4:4 – Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again — rejoice! (NLT)
"Always" means "on every occasion" or "at all times" — even when we don't feel like it. We may not shout "Amen!", but we can ask God to guard our thoughts and our happiness in Him and constantly thank Him for blessings, small or large. I'm going to start by saying, "I'm blessed" instead of "I'm here". What can you do to maintain an attitude of joy?
Prayer: Father, we need Your help to remain focused on joy instead of our sorrows and health issues. Help us to rest constantly in the fulness of Your joy. Amen!
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About the author:
Sharon Cook <craftercook@gmail.com>
Apache Junction, Arizona, USA
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Amen!
Happy thoughts, Happy Easter!
Amen, Sharon. A good reminder.
Thank you for sharing this encouraging devotional with us! Just read it today! Blessings.
Thank you for your wonderful devotion. So true! We could all look at our joy meter and start being joyful! Blessings to you!
Great reminder of how we need to recognize how blessed we are … and share that blessing with others. “I’m blessed! ”
Thank you, Sharon. I so needed that message this morning. I have been having troubles (health) and no solutions, but I need to remember that my JOY IS IN THE LORD.
Hello Sharon.
That is a wonderful -and joy-ful – message. Thank you for sharing it with us!
God bless you. Happy – joyful – Easter!
(BC)
I guess we can’t go wrong by remembering:
J = Jesus
O = Others
Y = You
Thank you for Sharing your Joy devotional with us Sharon, good reminders for us all.
Thanks, Sharon, for your words this morning. You are so right when you say we need reflect on joy instead of our sorrows as it is truly Jesus who gives joy to our daily lives. It is so uplifting socializing with those who follow Jesus and have positive reflections of happenings in their lives.
Easter blessings and joyful times ahead for you.
Dear Sharon,
Thank you for your beautiful message today. A number of years ago we had such a gentleman in our church. He and his wife were always right on time during our Sunday morning service with their “Amen”. They went home to be with the Lord a few years ago and I still think of them often, especially during our Sunday morning services.
I’ve often noticed that when I feel ‘grumbly’ (self-pity??) if I start to look around and name things I see and thank God for them one by one, the grumbles recede pretty quickly and are replaced by a much brighter attitude in my heart. Then it seems as if I notice (become aware) of the many things I can’t see for which I am thankful. It’s a wonderful resource – this idea of thanking God.
Hi Sharon, first, I appreciate your thoughtful devotionals. Secondly, ‘joy’ as a fruit of the Spirit is desirable. My intent here, and an observation is, to alert you to a distinction between ethical happiness and ‘psychological’ or circumstantial happiness. The former, is also desirable, being the summum bonum and the result of living a morally ‘good’ life as defined by Aristotle. And yes, joy is not a suggestion. Thanks for the emphasis.
Hello Sharon: I often enjoy your meditations. This one really spoke to me. I am a chaplain in long term care, where quality of life is sometimes questionable. There are so many losses. When I am preaching at their services, I try to focus my message on something that they can relate to, something that will give them hope and joy.
I can hardly wait to share your message with them.
Blessings.
Our Faith is the source of our Joy.