Joy is of the Holy Spirit. So why is there an absence of joy in so many religious circles; in so many individual believers? The absence of the Holy Spirit would be obvious; but why?
I think it is pride. While Jesus did what he could to pull believers into a grateful pack, American churches have taken on a consumerism, brand name culture of their own and then spread it across other continents called mission fields. We have promoted a one-up-manship among the tribes of Christianity. Pride has been that trait we know God detests; yet we blindly accept as if such is a rather moot point among us.
It is huge!
I thought I was better than my religious competitors and even so among my own clique. I thought I knew best, believed best, and did church best. Not. For one thing my pride exposed me to be the failure I truly was.
Recall the two men praying in the temple; how the one thanked God he wasn't as low as that miserable other? That would be me....and many of us.
When we are arrogant enough to believe our worship, or doctrine, and our spirituality is better than another, we have slipped into a deep and dangerous and dark hole. When we cannot appreciate another's stance different from ours, we are short-sheeting the kingdom breadth and width.
The disciples questioned Jesus on this regarding others who didn't follow precisely as they. His response was if they were not against them they were for them. Our prideful controlling nature resists the allowance of others being all right without being just like us.
A terrific joy release is to let other believers do what they can to grow in the Christ while we do the same thing. He will change us for the improvement of joy if we will relax, see the blessings (however few we think they are), and trust our God to run His show instead of us.
1 comment:
Yep! You would think that if a person had real joy-the kind no situation can take away- it would manifest itself as happiness to others around them. Even in deep sorrow, real joy can be detected when the person is living by the Holy Spirit. I know people with joy- all the time. I also, unfortunately, know happy people- only if things are going their way. We need to have joy not happiness. (V's friend)
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