Ministers Blogs
“GENUINE LOVE”
The one thing most people want in this world is joy. But, sadly, many will go through life and never experience it. Some have made a habit of ruining joy by always looking on the dark side of life. Others have confused joy with fun, and so always seem to come up short. They think that if they are not having fun they cannot be joyful. Somehow they miss the fact that Paul wrote, “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice” from the dark, dampness of a Roman prison. (Phil. 4:4). Surely he wasn’t having much fun, but it didn’t stop his joy in the Lord. Genuine joy comes from understanding four things. When we develop these in our lives, joy naturally follows.
1. REALIZE YOU ARE LOVED BY GOD With God on our side, what else do we need? (Romans 8:31)
2. KNOW YOU ARE FORGIVEN Why carry guilt around like a large boulder weighing us down? Learn that God has forgiven and that will restore the joy of salvation. (Psalm 53:12)
3. TRUST GOD’S CARE The world knows no joy because it is overwhelmed by fear. Some are fearing the effects of “global warming” while others fear a coming ice age. But the Christian knows God is in charge, and he’s on our side.
4. LIVE BY GOD’S STANDARDS The Prodigal Son ruined his joy when he left his father’s home, and insisted on living by his own rules. He chose wrong activities and paid the price. Living by God’s rules does not eliminate joy, it creates it. The word “joy” or “rejoice” is used over 600 times in the Bible, about once every two chapters. Our joy and happiness is important to God, and he tells us how to achieve it. “Rejoice always.” (I Thess. 5:16)
Phil Grear
