THE WAY TO GET MORE JOY IN YOUR LIFE

THE WAY TO GET MORE JOY IN YOUR LIFE (2/25/90)
II CORINTHIANS 8: 1 - 9
(PAGE 1693 "COME ALIVE BIBLE")
JESUS CHRIST said, "These things have I spoken unto you, that My
joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full" (John
15:11).
Christ made that statement while in the jaws of death. Even in
His hour of agony He was thinking of others and their welfare;
their joy. The world's greatest Sufferer was its most joyous
citizen.
The joy of which He spoke is that experienced by an artist who
finishes a masterful work of art and steps back to admire it. It
is comparable to that savored by a homemaker who has just
prepared and served a lovely meal. It is like that experienced
by any person who has just successfully completed any major
task. That is the joy with which He wants His children to live.
How is it possible? In the preceding verses in John He says it
is a result of sheer OBEDIENCE consequenting from LOVE. We
demonstrate our LOVE by OBEDIENCE. The result is joy.
Notice Christ spoke of "joy", not happiness. The reason is found
in the very root of the word happiness. It comes from
"happenstance", meaning if the circumstances happen to be good,
we are happy. Joy isn't dependent upon circumstances. Paul and
Silas "sang praise unto God" (Acts 16:25) while unjustly
confined in jail. They triumphed over circumstances.
Joy isn't dependent upon externals but upon that which is
internal. Jesus Himself had great joy and in His reason why
wefind our way how to have joy. It was a result of pleasing and
glorifying the Father. "...Who for the joy that was set before
Him endured the cross" (Heb. 12:20).
When we please Him we experience joy because ...

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