THE JOY OF CHRIST

THE JOY OF CHRIST

Growing up we sang a lot of praise choruses that had motions to them.
One of the songs was "I've got the joy, joy, joy, joy -- down in my
heart" . . . to which was the echo -- "where?" -- "down in my heart to
stay!" One of the attributes of the Christian should be a life that is
filled with joy. A joy that is in the heart, bubbles up from the heart
and expresses itself on the face, which is then obvious to everyone
around them that there is something different about them.

Henry Blackaby, writes in his daily devotional EXPERIENCING GOD DAY BY
DAY: "If there is anything that ought to characterize the life of a
Christian, it is joy! Jesus spoke many times to His disciples about His
joy being complete and full in them. His disciples were filled with joy
as they realized who they were: children of God and joint heirs with
Christ (Romans 8:16-17). They had been dead in their sins but were now
made alive in Christ (Romans 6:4). They had once been helpless victims
of death, but now death had no hold over them (1 Corinthians 15:55-58).
With such a marvelous salvation experience with Christ, how could the
disciples be anything less than joyful?

Don't deny yourself that which is your birthright as a child of God.
Don't be satisfied with a joyless life. There ought to be in every
Christian a deep, settled fullness of the joy of Christ that no
circumstance of life can dispel. This comes as you allow the Holy Spirit
to express Himself in your life. One of the fruits of the Spirit is joy
(Galatians 5:22). This joy is unlike any happiness that is produced by
the world. It fills you and permeates everything you do.

Jesus did not pray that your would merely be happy or even that you
would escape grief. He prayed that you would have the same joy that the
Father had given Him: a divine joy, a joy that comes from a deep and
unwavering relationship with the Father. It is a joy that is grounded so
firmly in a relationship with God that no change in circumstances could
ever shake it. This is the kind of joy that Christ is praying will be in
you."

How about you this morning? Is your life characterized by the joy of
Christ? Good thought to ponder today.