True Joy is not dependent on anything external. No one can steal your true joy. No one can diminish it. It is a vital part of who you are and your perspective. Joy is the theme of the third week of advent, the first week that we celebrate the first coming of Jesus. It's the first meeting we have where God thrusts himself into our situation, putting on flesh, becoming man. And because he did so we can find the source of Joy. I am amazed at the stories in the Bible when people met Jesus and they left rejoicing. In other words, with their joy streaming out of them. There were others who left Jesus upset because they failed to really see Him, they missed out completely.
So who are you? Are you filled with Joy because you meet with Jesus and understand more everyday what impact Jesus, God incarnate, has on the world and on you? Or, are you constantly frustrated because you want to fit Jesus into your plan? There is a huge difference. When we truly encounter God, Jesus and His Holy Spirit we can't help but rejoice. So if you don't have Joy, and I pray that isn't true, it's time to start asking some big questions about how you, how we, encounter God.
So here is your advent-ure for this week. Let your Joy out! A good sign of this would be if people notice your Joy and say things like, "What's the deal with them, they seem so joyful?" Robert Murray McCheyne says, "Joy is increased by spreading it to others." It's backwards, I know. But you can only increase your joy by giving it away. Give it away. Make it noticeable. After all, God, the source of true Joy, sent His Son in the form of a baby for you! If that's not reason for rejoicing, I don't know what is!
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