"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!" - Philippians 4:4
Okay... today I was thinking we might dig a little bit into some of the practical application aspects of joy. But first, thank you to all who left comments in response to my request from yesterday's blog. I was greatly encouraged to know that there are in fact other people trying to cultivate these things in their lives. If you did not get a chance to leave a comment, please feel free to do so at any time. Also, please read the comments from yesterday in order to get some other people's thoughts on joy. I found it quite amazing, some of the insight that was displayed! Again, thank you!
Now, for some practical applications of joy... well... actually joy is about one of the most impractical things according to the standard of this world. Look at what Paul says here in Philippians 4:4... "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!" That "always" is the part that most of us have trouble with. I know I do! However, I have been trying to focus my entire week on rejoicing in the Lord, no matter what the circumstance is. So, here is an example that came up just yesterday...
I own an old pick-up truck, and yesterday I decided I would change the oil before I had to go to work... Well, the oil-change went fine, except that my truck wouldn't start afterwards! So, I had about a half-hour until I had to be at work... I had two choices: get frustrated and start grumbling, or realize that this is really God's truck anyways... and if He wants to break it, that's His choice, I'm just going to be glad that He has allowed me to use it for as long as He has! So, I decided, being that we're studying joy and all, to try this second concept. I simply prayed, "All right, Lord, this is your truck! If you want to break it, then that's fine. Thank you for allowing me to use it for the amount of time that I have!" And with that I had to quickly ask my mom... yeah... to give me a ride to work. Thankfully it's not that far, and my mom's pretty much the coolest mom ever so she was fine with that idea and I got to work on time. However, I then struggled throughout the day to focus on having joy in the Lord, rather than focusing on my current problem. However, I have found that there is a growing trust in my heart and that I am not as easily torn from my Lord by simple issues in life. I had finally begun to learn to have joy in times that would usually have called for worry.
To make a long story short, I worked a long, hot day in the sun... got home from work, and my dad said he would take a look at what was wrong with my truck. We found a wire that I had apparently pulled out of the starter, when I was changing the oil. And there you have it! The problem was solved, and I was given even more reason to rejoice in Jehovah-Jireh, "The Lord will provide."
Let's take a look at the problem again... I had disconnected the power from my starter. What does a starter do? It starts the entire engine that runs my vehicle! Do you see where I'm going with this?
Our relationship with Christ is very much like the connection from the battery to the starter on a car. Without that connection... we can't function properly. Without learning to have love, joy, peace, patience... we cannot function properly as children of the Almighty God. Let's take it one step further. You are in fact the car that I speak of, the battery is the Living Word of God... If you do not keep yourself plugged into His Word, you cannot maintain a well-running relationship with the Father. Plain and simple! How can you learn to have joy unless you spend time reading what God says about joy and seeing how it has been displayed through His servants?
Friends, if you read and understand nothing else, please understand this... It is of the utmost importance that you maintain a growing and vibrant relationship with Jesus Christ. I have no other word for you today, that I might not lessen the importance of this fact.
Please, take some time to evaluate your relationship with Christ. Do you even have a relationship with Him? If not, I hope that this study has convinced you of your need for Christ and that you will not delay in finding someone whom you could talk to about giving your life to Him. It is the most sweet and freeing surrender that there ever was! To rest in the Shadow of the Almighty.... there is no greater joy!
Friends, today is the day! Make the decision in your heart, that you will follow Christ, and keep plugged into the source that brings life into your soul!
Those of you who are already in that relationship with Christ... What steps can you take to increase your joy in the Lord? What can you give up to God, so that you will not be disappointed when you no longer have it? The Lord gives and He takes away... will your joy be defined by which one He decides to do? Or will you learn to "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!"? Stay plugged in to the Word of God, and remember to check your connection from time to time. You know... it can sometimes become loose when you go over a few bumps! Maintain...
Grace and Peace!
Note: as an aside, here is a link to a sight called, "Hannah's Cupboard," in which there is a list of some of the names of God. It is amazing what you can learn about the character of God through His different names! I have only used the "Names of God" portion of this website and therefore cannot claim any of the other content as being the same or different in view or belief. If you do decide to check out the site and have any questions about what you come across, please, leave a comment on this blog and I'll check it out and get back to you! Thanks again! http://www.hannahscupboard.com/names-of-god.html
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