Joyful
I have told you these things so that you will be filled with My joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!
John 15:11 NLT
Jesus has given us His joy.
He gave us His joy right before He was crucified. How could He think about being joyful let alone about giving us joy when He knew He was about to be tortured and killed?
Thinking of the result of His suffering brought Jesus joy. And we are the result. Instead of focusing on what He had to go through, Jesus thought of how we would be forgiven and made acceptable to God, our Father. Without the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus we would not be able to live with God. Our sin would keep us from being able to have and enjoy a personal and intimate relationship with Him.
Jesus knew the result of His suffering before He ever came to earth and He counted you worthy to suffer for. It brought Him great joy to be the way for you to be the home of God.
The joy of Christ that has been given to us is bigger than our circumstances. It is stronger than what other people say about us and it is solid enough to keep us on even ground but we have to let it.
Like any gift that is given to you, you have to accept it. You have to take it and make it yours.
Jesus tells us that we can be filled to overflowing with His joy if we receive it.
In accepting this gift we have to practice living with it. It doesn't come naturally to most of us. Everyday we'll have opportunities to practice being joyful - when we don't get our way, when we come under fire, when we have to make tough decisions, and when the situation looks impossible. I am currently practicing being joyful in traffic...not fully there yet but it's coming along.
What's one area of your life that you can practice being joyful in?
Choose to be joyful over frustration and fear every time.
Heidirn
John 15:11 NLT
Jesus has given us His joy.
He gave us His joy right before He was crucified. How could He think about being joyful let alone about giving us joy when He knew He was about to be tortured and killed?
Thinking of the result of His suffering brought Jesus joy. And we are the result. Instead of focusing on what He had to go through, Jesus thought of how we would be forgiven and made acceptable to God, our Father. Without the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus we would not be able to live with God. Our sin would keep us from being able to have and enjoy a personal and intimate relationship with Him.
Jesus knew the result of His suffering before He ever came to earth and He counted you worthy to suffer for. It brought Him great joy to be the way for you to be the home of God.
The joy of Christ that has been given to us is bigger than our circumstances. It is stronger than what other people say about us and it is solid enough to keep us on even ground but we have to let it.
Like any gift that is given to you, you have to accept it. You have to take it and make it yours.
Jesus tells us that we can be filled to overflowing with His joy if we receive it.
In accepting this gift we have to practice living with it. It doesn't come naturally to most of us. Everyday we'll have opportunities to practice being joyful - when we don't get our way, when we come under fire, when we have to make tough decisions, and when the situation looks impossible. I am currently practicing being joyful in traffic...not fully there yet but it's coming along.
What's one area of your life that you can practice being joyful in?
Choose to be joyful over frustration and fear every time.
Heidirn
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