Tag Archives: Christian Growth

October 27, 2020 · 9:26 am

THIS WEEK – JOY

Joy – A declaration or assurance by which a person undertakes a commitment to do or refrain from doing a specific act. A divine assurance of future benefit or blessing.

(Oxford Dictionary)

Joy, what a word! Unfortunately, we all too often restrict the word joy to Christmas. The Christmas season is the time that we say ,”joy to the world,” but there are many other times that we should be overflowing with joy. A feeling of joy overtakes us when we see a child walk for the first time, a person experience healing after being ill, or even when we succeed at a difficult task. I believe joy has a supernatural quality about it. The feeling of pure joy cannot be easily explained but must be experienced.

Paul said to the Philippian church,” Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say rejoice!” Joy is not an option for a Christian but should be a state of being. It is with a profound joy that I can say that I am a creation of God and saved sinner by the grace that Jesus attained for us. There are so many things to be joyous about that we really can’t be sad. but we are sometimes.

Our sadness comes because we have neglected the gift of the spirit that we received at our baptism. That Holy Spirit is “God with us,” and he never leaves. Our challenge is to believe that fact from the bottom of our beings. We must not allow ourselves to be dragged into the pit by the evil and negativity of the world. That evil, that mistrust, that negativity is the devil’s way of winning, and we must not allow him to win. The scripture also reminds us,” For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” The devil is a “joy thief” and God is an extravagant giver of peace and joy.

This week go out and experience joy to the fullest because you are a child of God who bears the presence of the spirit within you. That is a most unbeatable combination.

There are those who give with joy, and that joy is their reward.

—Khalil Gibran

Grief can take care of itself, but to get the full value of a joy you must have somebody to divide it with.

—Mark Twain

Joy is the holy fire that keeps our purpose warm and our intelligence aglow.

—Helen Keller

Joy lies in the fight, in the attempt, in the suffering involved, not in the victory itself.

—Mahatma Gandhi

We cannot cure the world of sorrows, but we can choose to live in joy.

—Joseph Campbell

If you carry joy in your heart, you can heal any moment.

—Carlos Santana

Let your joy be in your journey—not in some distant goal.

—Tim Cook

Find a place inside where there’s joy, and the joy will burn out the pain.

– Joseph Campbell

When the mind is pure, joy follows like a shadow that never leaves.

– Buddha

Joy is a net of love by which you can catch souls.

– Mother Teresa

If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. ‘This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.

~~~John 15:10–12

For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols, but the Lord made the heavens. Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and joy are in his place.

~~~1 Chronicles 16:26–27

And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.

~~~Matthew 2:9–10

You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

~~~Psalm 16:11

And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.

~~~Luke 1:43–44

May he grant you your heart’s desire and fulfill all your plans! May we shout for joy over your salvation, and in the name of our God set up our banners! May the Lord fulfill all your petitions!”

~~~Psalm 20:4–5

And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”

~~~Luke 2:10–11

Sing praises to the Lord, O you his saints, and give thanks to his holy name. For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.”

~~~Psalm 30:4–5

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”

~~~Romans 15:13

For you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy. My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.”

~~~Psalm 63:6–7

Lord, I praise you for the gift of inner joy. That is the gift You bestow upon me by the presence of Your spirit within me. You are never far from me, because You are always present in me. Let me tap into that source of joy each day and never neglect or doubt Your presence, because You are a faithful God who never abandons His creation.

Amen

The Danger of Judgment

“Let everyone beware lest he presume to take it upon himself to criticize and condemn other men’s faults without his having been truly touched within by the Holy Spirit in his work. Otherwise he may very easily err in his judgments. Beware, therefore. Judge yourself as seems right to you between yourself and your God and let other men alone.”

—-The Cloud of Unknowing

Therefore, you have no excuse, whoever you are, when you judge others; for in passing judgement on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, are doing the very same things. You say, ‘We know that God’s judgement on those who do such things is in accordance with truth.’ Do you imagine, whoever you are, that when you judge those who do such things and yet do them yourself, you will escape the judgement of God?

—-Romans 2:1-3

The words of Paul in his letter to the Romans and the words of the medieval mystic who wrote THE CLOUD OF UNKNOWING are the same. Simply stated, we must be very cautious when we condemn other people. We are about to embark in a strange new world in the coming days. We’ve never been here before, and we’re not sure what it’s going to be like. The whole idea of “social distancing,” wearing masks and being cautious every time we venture from our homes is a strange and rather scary place to be. Our challenge is how we handle it?

As Christians, we can be those that lead the way with generosity, kindness, compassion and care for our fellow man. We can try to observe the guidelines and go forward in this world. We can pray for the finalized solution to come sooner rather than later to this extreme problem that we have. We can help those who have had losses during this time of isolation to bury and mourn their dead. We can support them and lift him up and give them the hope that only Jesus gives. Those are some ways that we can be very positive in the coming weeks and months.

The message of the mystic in THE CLOUD OF UNKNOWING and the Apostle Paul gives us fair warning of the possible dark side of our reaction. Let us be determined that we’re not going to criticize, condemn and complain. Let us pray without ceasing that God will deliver us from taking that path that the evil one has designed for us since the Garden. That is, I will do it my way. Such a decision is a slippery slope we walk down when we are frightened by this very deadly unknown we are facing. Let us heed the words of the Medieval Mystic and the Apostle Paul every time we hear ourselves speak or think words of criticism and judgment.

We do this by praying without ceasing. This is an excellent time for you to reboot your prayer life. Perhaps you might consider setting a time for prayer each day. It is possible that you may want to investigate some prayer practices that you have never done before. There are so many ways to pray to God. There are so many ways to be in the presence of God. I’d like to suggest a few in the links below. I hope they might help.

Links on Ways to Pray

Lectio Divina

Daily Bible Reading

The Daily Office

The Jesus Prayer

The Examine

Prayer – LORD, make it possible for me to overcome my fear in the coming weeks and months and not fall into the trap of a critical and judgmental attitude. Let me now lay myself before you as a servant of yours. I ask you today, what service may I render to others? Guide me to look very closely at my faults and short-comings and make self-change my priority. Give me the strength to be an example of what it means to be a Christian. Take away my sin and fear so that I may be strong as I go forward today. Amen

It Begins With You

“Pray for me.” The old man said to him, “I will have no mercy upon you, nor will God have any, if you yourself do not make an effort and if you do not pray to God.” St. Anthony meant that we should not rely on the prayers of others without having our own prayers and spiritual struggle. Regarding resisting the evil thoughts, St. Anthony advises us saying, “Tire yourself in reading the holy books, as they save you from the evil thoughts”… “Tire yourself in reading the books, and following the commandments, so that the mercy of God comes upon you speedily.”

—– Anthony of Egypt

All of us want the prayers of others as we go about the challenges in our lives however, we often forget that our own prayers are the most important of all. The Monk said plainly, perhaps bluntly, to the inquirer that he cannot have mercy on his soul unless he had first turned it over to God. The one who requested the Monk’s prayer was apparently one who did not pray for himself. In a sense, he was asking for a parole to enter rest. In immigration law, a parole visa is issued to someone when they cannot enter the country on their own but are paroled in under special circumstance. We cannot be paroled into spiritual unity with God but must be worthy on our own. How can this happen?

Develop a personal relationship with God.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with soliciting the prayers of others. The problem is when we see their prayers as a magic formula for us to get what we desire. There is no such thing as special holy men or prayer formulas that allow us to get the desired results. In reality, climbing a holy mountain does not make us holy. Personal holiness comes with a personal relationship with the Holy One. That relationship is built by prayer and study.

Develop a practice of prayer.

Communication is always the starting point of getting to know anyone. Interaction is the key to understanding and relationship. For anything to be of quality there must be consistency. That is why I use the word “practice,” because a practice of prayer means discipline and planning. For our prayer life to truly be genuine, it must be thought out and become a part of us. It matters little how and when you pray as long as you know how and when you will pray. There is no prayer practice that is superior to the other, but each person must develop a way of prayer.

Develop a discipline of study.

The study of the divine revelation of God to man is a must for any follower of Jesus. Anthony says, “Tire yourself in reading the holy books” to keep on the path of holiness. The study of God’s word is a key component in building a strong and healthy relationship with God. Each time you open the Bible something new will emerge even though you have read it many times. That’s what makes it a living word. Just as the scriptural writers were guided by the Holy Spirit, so will it be for you as you develop a discipline of study.

I share these thoughts today with the hope that they can be of some help. Always keep in mind the advice of the Monk to begin inside of yourself as you seek spiritual peace and deliverance. Make the time to pray and study and God will bless you beyond measure.

Prayer

Lord, I know my need and cry out to you to hear me. Guide me as I develop my life in a way that will lead me to be closer to you. Keep my hands steady as I develop better spiritual disciplines. Allow these efforts to be productive for me and all I touch.

Amen