Pastor Fred Auma told us that joy is a state of the gladness of the heart, and that it is not externally driven. It’s a fruit of the Spirit of God; a consequence of God working in us. Irrespective of our circumstances, Christians are called to joyful living so that their lives are radiant even in ‘darkness’. Christians are called to be joyful in service and ministry, servanthood, suffering, and in hope for our future. That future must cause us to be joyful as we look forward to meeting God face to face, and seeing the fullness of His majesty.
Joyful lives speak into the lives of others more than we imagine; they grab the attention of others because of the ‘bubbling’ pleasure and happiness manifested at all times, even amid difficult circumstances. To the point that one would be curious to know why. That inner joy comes from knowing God; our Saviour, Jesus, keeps the smiles on believers’ faces such that they smile at storms.
The joy of the Lord should be evident in every believer’s life oblivious of what is happening around them. Your internal joy, should be out of bounds for satan whose sole agenda is to, “steal, kill and destroy” (John 10:10a). Declare to satan that he cannot steal your joy. Jesus was crucified in our place so that we would be set free, and be joyful.
The secret to joyful living is serving God. Jesus is our ultimate example of serving joyfully.
Application:
- Where are you joyfully serving God? Are you serving in humility and without grumbling?
- Do you joyfully speak of the gospel? Are you committed to spreading the gospel? We have an example in Pastor Fred who declared his commitment to joyfully preach until he is no more.
- Daily present your commitment to God for joyful living.
Prayer:
Dear Lord, I desire to joyfully serve You, joyfully spread the gospel, and be joyful in the hope of the future. Holy Spirit help me stay on this joyful path. Amen
