There Is Joy IN Christ

By: Randy Freeze, faithgateway.com

An old saying goes, “You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.” Another adage, often heard in sports settings, is, “Attitude is everything.” A person exuding a joy and vigor about life is going to raise the question, “What makes him [her] so different?” When those around us can look at us and see that we choose to express joy, no matter whether life is good or bad at the moment — therein lies the strongest testimony we can offer, even without words.

Notice the path we have taken here — from an inward focus of ending personal stress to an internal transformation to an outward attraction of people to Christ. As joy grows in the heart and mind of the believer, it infiltrates the soul and then moves outward to impact others. Loving God and loving neighbor.

You’ve probably heard the word countenance before. It describes not only the look on your face but also the look of your face. The last entry in George Orwell’s notebooks reads, “At 50, everyone has the face he deserves.” Eventually your face forms to your attitude and the perspective you have on life from the inside.

When you see people who look angry, but then you realize they’re not frowning — there’s a bad countenance. But have you seen a bride on her wedding day? Or a mother seeing her newborn child for the first time? Usually a radiant countenance! How can you tell that something good, or bad, has happened to someone you’re close to, even before they say a word? The countenance. As a Christian matures in the virtue of joy, the countenance becomes a gauge of growth.

In one of the Methodist Episcopal Church Missionary Society’s yearly journals, this story appeared: A Hindu trader in India asked Pema, a native Christian, “What do you put on your face to make it shine so?” Pema answered, “I don’t put anything on it.” “Yes, you do,” said the trader. “All you Christians do. I have seen it in Agra, and in Ahmedabad, and in Surat, and in Bombay.” Pema laughed, and his happy face shone as he said, “I’ll tell you what it is that makes my face shine. It is happiness in the heart. Jesus gives me joy.”

We all will have good and bad days. We will all experience life’s ups and downs. But has life robbed you of your joy, or are you growing in this virtue? What does your face reflect to others? What does your attitude communicate about your faith?

Happiness will be all too fleeting, but the joy of Jesus is available to your soul right now.