Joy

[We have a bit of a thing for new writers at the moment here at All4God. ANd here’s another one for you – David Gilkinson, a Christian guy from Lisburn, who as well as being passionate about serving God is on a gap year working at Exodus Lisburn (a Christian nightclub, drop in centre and discipleship organisation), and isn’t bad on the rugby field either]

• Happiness

Happiness is an emotion, it depends on our circumstances. Many people spend their whole lives chasing this happiness- like someone chasing the wind. They are up and down, always searching!
Often as Christians we are no different; we try to find joy in church, people, success, when the only real source of joy is the God of all these things!

• Joy

Joy is an attribute, a mindset, a fruit of the Spirit. When it is present we always have it through good and bad times- When we receive Christ it comes naturally to some extent due to the hope that we have in Christ!
Still it is something that we need to work on and pray that we will receive more of.

• God’s agenda- James 1 v 2-4

“Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.”
When we are going through difficulties its not the easiest thing to be joyful! God calls us to have pure joy! why?
God has sent this trial to test us and make us stronger, He sees us as worthy to go through the trial! He won’t allow the trial to get too much that we can’t deal with it ( re 1 Corinthians 13 v 10)
Often we just want to find the happiness but God has more for us in store is something better.
” If your highest agenda is your comfort and enjoyment then you will always struggle in life”   P. Tripp

• Jesus example Hebrew 12 v 1-4

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.  We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up. After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin”.
The cross was a gruesome and cruel experience, it wasn’t a scene of happiness but mourning and pain, yet we are told that Jesus had joy and was able to endure it because he had the hope of heaven in Him driving him on!!

• Outcome of joy

We have this same hope, we can go through anything without feeling sorry for ourselves and making others suffer- we can stand strong and glorify God in how we handle every situation.
We will also be better people to be with- the joy of God is the most attractive attribute in a person’s life! Proverbs 10 v 28 says “The hopes of the godly result in happiness, but the expectations of the wicked come to nothing.” It is a witness in itself that we shine and have joy even when things don’t go our way! Others are strengthened and reached through our joy in hardships.
We can stand in any situation knowing that the trial will come to an end and that we will be stronger for it!