Stolen Joy
Jesus said at least twice in the book of John that He wants His disciples to be full of joy.(John 15:11;16:24) The men discussed that joy this morning in our Bible study time. The comment was made that we must not let anything steal our joy, because the non-believers around us need to see our joy, so they will be drawn to Christ.
So, I want to ask a question, "What happens in your life to steal your joy?" When someone is angry with you and tries to hurt you, does that steal your joy? We should not allow their feelings and abuse to take our eyes off of the Lord. No matter what they think about us, Jesus loves us, so everything is OK. Do financial troubles steal your joy? We should trust the Lord to guide us and provide for us, instead of beginning to worry. He told us to pray, not to worry. Also, when you have a challenge, does that steal your joy? If we try to do it ourselves, we might get stressed, but if we trust Him, we can meet the challenge with joy. Don't let anything steal your joy.
Why do I say that? Look at John 16:22. Jesus told His disciples that after they realized He had risen from the dead, they would have joy that no one could take from them. We can have that same realization, and we can live in joy, because Jesus has won the victory over sin, death, and Satan. However, we can let other things steal our joy, even though no one can take it from us. Please, don't allow that to happen. It is up to us to hold on to the joy of the Lord.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Nehemiah 7-9 and Acts 3.
So, I want to ask a question, "What happens in your life to steal your joy?" When someone is angry with you and tries to hurt you, does that steal your joy? We should not allow their feelings and abuse to take our eyes off of the Lord. No matter what they think about us, Jesus loves us, so everything is OK. Do financial troubles steal your joy? We should trust the Lord to guide us and provide for us, instead of beginning to worry. He told us to pray, not to worry. Also, when you have a challenge, does that steal your joy? If we try to do it ourselves, we might get stressed, but if we trust Him, we can meet the challenge with joy. Don't let anything steal your joy.
Why do I say that? Look at John 16:22. Jesus told His disciples that after they realized He had risen from the dead, they would have joy that no one could take from them. We can have that same realization, and we can live in joy, because Jesus has won the victory over sin, death, and Satan. However, we can let other things steal our joy, even though no one can take it from us. Please, don't allow that to happen. It is up to us to hold on to the joy of the Lord.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Nehemiah 7-9 and Acts 3.