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'Christ in You...'
by Dale Krebbs
"There is always something to take the joy out of life!"
This is a quote of my Mother many years ago after she had live into her 70's. And indeed it must have seemed so for her. She had many trials, including a broken back from an auto accident, breast cancer, along with much poverty along the way. However, she managed to age 88, lacking a few months living to age 89,
Please pardon me as I quote another memory, along with the above that I cannot forget. It always gets a chuckle when mentioned to others. One of her favorite cliches' was: "I'm not afraid to die - but, I am particular about how!"
Looking back at her life, as a Christian, I have pondered often what she said about her life. Does it sometimes seem that there is always SOMETHING to take the joy out of living? How many in the world today live a joyful life? Perhaps there are some...but I believe most would be in my Mothers's end of the court.
However, the plain truth is that as Christians, if there was not something to take the joy out of our lives, we would never really change. Here we see the infinite wisdom of our God. He made us susceptible to experiencing all kinds of "something" in our lives that seem to diminish our happiness, contentment, security, and feelings of joyfulness.
An all wise Creator set the course of human beings in such a way that by taking joy - what we normally consider to be joy - away from us, so that we could learn to experience the joy the He has. It is through much tribulation that we enter the Kingdom of God (Acts 14:21-22). Tribulation is not joy. But the fruit of the difficulties we experience in our lives eventually forms within us a Godly joy that exceeds many times over any joy of this world.
Even if we had continual joy in our lives, it is temporary. Worldly, human joy although pleasant for a time, passes away, along with our fleshly bodies. As pleasant as it is, it cannot last. Only His joy that we can have in Christ will last forever, and it will exceed a million times over any temporary worldly joy of the flesh.
It is pleasant to experience joys in our flesh, and it is not necessarily sinful or wrong. It is a delightful thing to experience and observe others who are joyful in a righteous way. It is not wrong for anyone to experience joyfulness of the right kind and for right reasons.
In fact, once we belong to God and His way, He almost gives us a blank check, a command even, to enjoy right things guided by the Holy Spirit! Joy experienced in the Spirit, as we yield to Jesus Christ, far exceeds human, worldly joy.
God will give you a joy that you can experience even now, while living the flesh, a life He has called you for. In fact, if your heart is right and surrendered to Christ, there is a Godly joy even in fleshly experiences - if your heart is right with Him, and you live in a way acceptable to Him. If you are letting Him have His way with you, committed and surrendered to Him, you can have joy now in your life with Him,
Yes, there will be at times in our lives that seem to take your human joy away.
But if you believe in and are surrendered to Him, you can have a joy that passes all understanding.
If you belong to Him, He commands you to be joyful - and best of all - it will never pass away!
"Go your way, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a cheerful heart [if you are righteous, wise, and in the hands of God], for God has already accepted your works. Let your garments be always white [with purity], and let your head not lack [the] oil [of gladness]." - Ecclesiastes 9:5-7 (AMP)
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