Jesus offers us His complete joy. The question is: do we really want Jesus' type of joy, that is, "complete joy," or would we rather have a cheap, temporary joy? To answer that question, let's look at what constitutes Jesus' joy:
Jesus wants to share His joy completely with us (Jn 17:13). Do we still want Jesus' joy if it involves ever-increasing labor, an exhausting, dangerous quest for repentance and conversion, and exposure to escalating persecution?
Joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit (Gal 5:22). The Spirit is given to those who obey God (Acts 5:32). Joy and unselfishness are linked (Phil 4:4-5). To have Jesus' complete joy, we must die to ourself (Lk 9:23), obey Jesus, and want what He wants, not what we want. Then we will rejoice with His joy that no one can take from us (Jn 16:22). We will share His joy completely (Jn 17:13). Our names will be written in heaven, and that will bring Jesus great joy (Lk 10:20-21).
| PRAYER: | Jesus, my Joy (Ps 43:4), I abandon my life unto You. |
| PROMISE: | "We are saved by the favor of the Lord Jesus." –Acts 15:11 |
| PRAISE: | Ron often witnesses to others that the way to find joy is to put Jesus first, others next, and yourself last. |
Reprinted with permission from Presentation Ministries, a lay association of the Catholic Church that focuses on evangelization and discipleship through Bible teaching, daily Mass, the charisms of the Holy Spirit, and Small Christian Community. Their ministries include:
· One Bread, One Body
· Daily Bread Radio Program
· Annual Bible Institute
· Discipleship Retreats
· Guadalupe Bible College