We hear talk about spiritual joy and many try to tie it our physical happiness. As long as things go well for us, we are happy and joyous. When things get difficult or plans do not work out, someone hurts our feelings, that joy and happiness is gone. Spiritual joy is not tied to circumstances but to God! It is a fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22). That means it comes from a spiritual source and not a physical source.
Read through the parable of the talents (Matt. 25:14-30). We find out that Jesus is aware of the strengths and weaknesses of each of us in Christ. He will never expect more than we are capable. That's good to know. The two that dealt faithfully with what they were entrusted by the master, it led them into the joy of the master along with praise. When we deal faithfully in our lives, it always leads to greater things and brings one into the joy of the relationship. When one does not deal faithfully, it brings them into misery. The point Jesus makes is God is trying to move us into His joy but that depends on our faithful response to Him with what we have been entrusted!
In Heb. 12:1-3, we find where we are to be looking: "fixing our eyes on Jesus." There are many things that want to take us down, to try to destroy our faith but we must look at Jesus and Him only. Why? Because He too endured horrible circumstances. How did He endure such pain, shame and humiliation? "For the joy set before Him." The joy of the relationship with His Father and the promise of the final outcome caused Him to endure. It led Him into the joy of the relationship despite the bad happening to Him. He was faithful to God and trusted by responding to God's will. Jesus showed us how to do it and how to make it and if we would but fix our eyes on Jesus, serving Him and not our circumstances, it will lead us into His joy!
When we have bad attitudes, unloving attitudes, we know the Lord does not want that from us. The question is will we be faithful and change our attitude? That will determine everything from the Lord. When we become upset at someone, notice we loose sight of the eternal things of God. Everything from God stops working at that moment. That why bitterness, resentments and hard feelings must be put away from us. That is being faithful in what we have been entrusted and looking to Jesus as our focus. Anger, bitterness, resentments are the world opposite of God because the focus and heart are wrapped around our feelings and how we have been wronged. We have just "buried" what we were entrusted with from the Lord and there will be no entering into the joy of the Master at that time.
We can find true spiritual joy despite people and difficult circumstances if we will humbly submit and walk with the Lord. Sinful attitudes, complaining, grudges and guilt all kill spiritual joy. Jesus is our way out if we truly believe and trust Him, moving into His heart and response. Fixing our eyes on Jesus and serving Him in the midst of difficulties faithfully will always lead us into His joy. I wonder why so many who profess Christ are miserable in their lives?
1 comment:
So many of those who profess Christ with their mouths have hearts set in the world and on worldly things. They want the best of both a physical life and spiritual life yet fail to realize that only the spritual one is important.
It's like the farmer that went to cross a barb wire fence and got stuck straddling it. He knew he needed to be on the other side and yet couldn't get there. So he sort of thought he was on the right side when he wasn't, all along being very miserable.
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