“Do not be afraid,
little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.” -(Luke
12:32; NIV)
It seems lately I have seen so many people with wearisome
demeanors. They walk around with frowns. They use harsh tones. They can’t make
eye contact. They walk with shoulders drooped. They just don’t have life to their
body.
The sad part is these people claim to have a relationship
with Jesus!
Now, I totally understand people can have a bad day. I know
people can have a bad week. However, when it is a regular look or tone that
doesn’t leave, then there’s a problem.
Our lives are stressful. There are people who can tick us
off. There are situations that can be overwhelming. It is undeniable that the
world can feel heavy on us at times. Yet, we have a God who says He has
conquered the world and the weight is no longer ours to bear!
So, why do we allow ourselves to walk in such a way as to
undermine His authority?
God is sovereign. God doesn’t lie. He is in control. These
are phrases we can say all the time, heck, we even buy the shirts, but we don’t
live like we mean it!
If we believe the words He says and the words we read in the
Bible, then how can we walk in anger, bitterness, frustration, beat down, etc.?
How can we walk like the world wins when we hold to the faith that Jesus has
won?!
Christ died so He could take our burdens to the grave. He
rose again to reveal the truth of who He is. We don’t serve a dead God because
that would be pointless. We serve a God who is alive and has given us life!
We walk with a God who said, “Come to me, all you who are
weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28; NIV). He has
called for us to rest in Him and allow Him to care for us in our brokenness. He
also said, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me”
(John 14:1; NIV). Our hearts should not be shaped by the troubles of this
world, but the healing of our Father. He is our refuge and relieves us of our
burdens!
We can say we believe, but we need to walk like we believe
it! He is alive! Let us walk like He is alive!
May we walk with joy on our faces! May we walk with love in
our hearts and our voice! May people see the truth of a risen savior in all
those who believe in Him!
Our attitudes should reflect that of a true risen Savior and
not a false dead god.
Jesus came for us to have peace and for us to reveal His
peace to others. He does not want His creation to walk holding their heads low
and chewing off the heads of those who dare to be joyous!
Satan longs for God’s people to continue in oppression, but
Christ has come to reveal a freedom through His life!
Let us walk with our living God and encourage others to join
in the journey.
QUESTION: Do you find
it hard to walk in joy?
2 comments:
Dude, had a good reply written out but I wasn't logged into Google so I lost it!! Ugh. Anyway, the gist was: I can find myself holding on to my despondency for fear that the resolution of it wont result in the kind (or level) of joy I'm hoping for. If I'm morose, at least there still feels like there's hope. If I let go... And don't feel what I was hoping I would feel... What then? The heart is so fickle, and pursuing joy is truly a fight of faith. Thanks for your words bro!
I can totally understand where you're coming from Adam. The struggle I have is how can we be seeking any greater joy than the very fact that we have a Savior? We might have an expectation of joy, but perhaps our expectation should be defined, not by our own feelings, but by what is discovered in the living Word of God? I'm not sure how that translates or really is defined necessarily beyond what Christ already shares with His disciples. Thanks for reading and your insight.
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