Finding Joy in the New Year
Joy is not automatic. It is a choice we make. We must be intentional about listening, believing, receiving, seeking, and then remaining in joy. By nature we default to despair, discouragement, distrust, and depression. How did your Christmas go? How did your 2019 go? Did you find joy? If not, do you want to? If so, do you want even more joy in 2020? Here are a few tips from God on finding joy in our short-lived lives!
Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Luke 2:10
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Rejoice in the Lord! This often-repeated Biblical phrase reminds and commands us to our purpose in life. Often we forget or stray from this purpose, but Jesus continues to call us to it—for our own good. He created us to enjoy Him through hearing, responding to, and loving His voice in the Bible and through His Spirit.
"The Scotch catechism says that man's chief end is 'to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.' But we shall then know that these are the same thing. Fully to enjoy is to glorify. In commanding us to glorify Him, God is inviting us to enjoy Him.”
—C.S. Lewis
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Satisfaction in Jesus protects us from temptation. Temptation is usually the desires at war within us seeking satisfaction and pleasure as quickly and often as possible. When we find satisfaction and enjoyment in Jesus, the temporary pleasures of the world will not sound, taste, or appear so desirable.
"The joy of the Lord will arm us against the assaults of our spiritual enemies and put our mouths out of taste for those pleasures with which the tempter baits his hooks.”
—Matthew Henry
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Suffering, in perspective, becomes joyful. For non-Christians, difficulties are designed to point their souls towards their need for repentance and faith in Jesus. For true-believers, problems are purposed to make us more dependent on God. If we trust in Christ when we are weak, we will be filled with the joy of the strength of our Lord.
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds. James 1:2
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Death, in Christ, is lasting joy. For genuine Christ-followers, death is not the end of life, but the continuation of spiritual life with God in Heaven. Death brings us to Jesus. Without Jesus there is no hope beyond death, just the expectation of punishment and justice as a consequence of our rebellion against and rejection of God.
With Jesus comes eternal joy. May we be faithful to Jesus so that we might hear the voice of God saying, “Enter into the joy of your master.” Matthew 25:23
My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. Philippians 1:23
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Joy spreads. So many around us are lacking joy. May the Lord open our eyes and enlarge our hearts towards others, so that they may experience the joy of Jesus. The more we choose joy daily, the more it will spread to those we care about!