That which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete. (1 John 1:3-4 ESV)
I was encouraged to ‘pick a word’ for 2015 by my sister-in-law. (And when I say encouraged I really mean nagged to death). But I am so thankful that she pushed me as it’s been an interesting exercise.
It’s like when you are buying a car and you pick a certain make and model . . . suddenly you see the exact car at almost every intersection! Why? Because it’s our focus as we look over car listings and lots. So it goes with picking a word to focus on throughout the year.
Much like buying a car, the word Joy seems to pop up more and more for me. Funny how that works. This morning our pastor was speaking on fellowship and how we can so easily deceive ourselves into believing that we are having fellowship when we truly are not. Visiting with Christian friends is just visiting unless your heart and discussion is geared towards Christ. I used to think that I was ‘plugged in’ because my best friends were born again and we enjoyed lots of fun nights together . . . yet I often felt empty and as though something was missing in my life. This past year I have found that when I get together with fellow believers, it’s so much more engaging when our conversations and reflections include Him. Not that we are always having a formal Bible study or even a serious discussion, but when we are sharing things like cleaning up dog barf at 2am, we can laugh and testify of God’s goodness at the same time. (Thank God I have crazy Christian women around me that see silly humor too!)
Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice!
So, if we are looking for that all-illusive joy . . . we just need to bring Jesus into everything and we’ll find it. It’s that simple.
Father, we thank You that You give us answers right before us to life’s tough questions. It’s Your desire that we enjoy fellowship that includes You. Help us to live genuine lives that are centered on You, and as we walk out our lives on this earth, we do so filled with joy . . . regardless of our circumstances. In Your name, Amen!
