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February 25, 2008
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=========================== TODAY'S ARTICLE ==========================
Real Joy?, by Phil Ware
Nehemiah said, "Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send
some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our
Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength" (Nehemiah
8:10 TNIV).
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! (Philippians
4:4)
Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do
not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an
inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end
result of your faith, the salvation of your souls (1 Peter 1:8-9).
Smiles. Laughter. Enthusiasm for life. Warmth, openness, and generosity
with others. All of these were in ample supply as a group of us visited
a village down the dusty, bumpy road outside of Kampala, Uganda.
(If you received this by email, please check out the following blog
entry and also see the video of these faces:
http://blogs.heartlight.org/phil/?p=244)
My heart is blessed just looking at the pictures of these people and
their precious faces, as I remember the incredibly difficult
circumstances many of them face in their daily lives.
Where do they get such genuine joy?
Do you have that kind of deep and abiding sense of joy?
I'm not talking about getting the right Sunday school response to that
question. Please, listen to your heart. Does your heart tune itself to
joy? Or, has true joy been crowded out of your life by the distractions
of the daily routine, the aches and pains of aging, or the trials that
circumstances can bring?
Do you have a deep and abiding sense of joy as you face life?
I'm not talking about your sense of happiness or your experience of
pleasure. I'm talking about the basic orientation you have toward life
at the core of your soul. Do you orient your outlook around joy or do
you see all the things that are negative, discouraging, lacking, or
incomplete?
As I look back on my trip to Africa, I've had to ask myself this
question again and again. As I look at the pictures of the joyous faces
of those trapped in difficult life-circumstances, I wonder if I would
be so joyful under such circumstances.
Don't get me wrong. I don't believe there is any great joy in poverty
-- I'm not going to romanticize circumstances that are often awful. In
the circumstances I witnessed, there were plenty of folks I saw who
were not filled with joy. However, I did find it refreshing that many
people who have so few of the trappings of outward success were
actually filled with deep and abiding joy. Where did this sense of joy
come from?
Then I noticed the common element in the three Scripture quoted at the
beginning of this article: the Lord! The Lord is the basis of true joy.
So I'm wondering, is Jesus really Lord in my life? Do I recognize his
lordship over all things? Do I understand what he has already done for
me? Do I anticipate his return with expectation? Do I love the
fellowship and food I share with other believers?
Hmm ... maybe it's time to pick up my Bible, open it to the Gospels
(Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) and see how Jesus brought true joy to
people?
Then I noticed the common element.
Maybe it's time to start praying that I can see him when he shows up in
my life?
Maybe it's time to quit saying maybe and start living with joy!
----------------------------------------------------------------------
What steals your joy?
How do you hang on to your sense of joy?
Why does pursuing Jesus as Lord being you joy?
Please respond by going to my blog entry listed below:
http://blogs.heartlight.org/phil/?p=246
If you received this by email, please check out the following blog
entry and also see the video of these faces!)
---------
(c) 2008 Phil Ware <phil@heartlight.org>. All rights reserved.
RELATED LINKS:
* Finding Joy in Sacrifice
http://www.heartlight.org/articles/200407/20040730_joysacrifice.html
* The Spirit Produces Joy
http://www.heartlight.org/articles/200209/20020906_joy.html
* Hope and Joy
http://www.heartlight.org/articles/200504/20050416_hopejoy.html
* Southern Hills Church of Christ
http://www.southernhillschurch.org
This article can be found on the web at:
http://www.heartlight.org/articles/200802/20080225_realjoy.html
=========================== FEATURED PRODUCT =========================
WILD AT HEART, by John Eldredge
Helping men rediscover their masculine heart, this is a guide to
understanding Christian manhood and Christian men.
http://shopping.heartlight.org/cgi-shl/link?153
Find more great books, CDs and videos at the Heartlight store! With
each purchase you make, you're helping to support Heartlight's
ministry. Thanks SO MUCH for your help!
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