Mia is often the source of my Love and Joy!
I am ashamed to admit it, but there are times that I don't seem to receive a lot of joy from my relationship with Jesus Christ. I can be happy; I can be joyful, but often this joy is found in other things, NOT Jesus. As many of you know, (and can probably relate to) my life is busy! I go to school, go to church, make time to stay home to be with my wife and daughter, do my best to take care of my mother, be a good brother, neighbor, friend, etc. Sadly, joy itself is often simply an afterthought to a complex and structured schedule. Joy in Jesus Christ is seldom thought of at all. Lately I have had to regroup, gather my thoughts and reset some priorities.
Why do I live life the way I do? Why do I believe the way I choose to? Does my faith in Jesus truly bring me joy, or does my faith stem from a sense of responsibility or duty? Do I find true Joy in Jesus; does He truly make me happy? I recently read a quote from C.S. Lewis...
“the perfect man would never act from a sense of duty. He’d always want the right thing more than the wrong one. Duty is only substitute for love, of God or of people. It is like a crutch, which is a substitute for a leg. Now, most of us need a crutch at times. But it would be idiotic to use the crutch, when our own legs, or in this case our own loves, tastes, desires and habits can make the journey on there own.”
I think I often walk through life on crutches! Where is my joy?
Sometimes I get so busy doing what I think a "good Christian" should do, that I forget that I'm commanded to "do everything in love" -1 Corinthians 16:14
Love is what we as Christians are to be known for!
"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."
-John 13:34-35
-John 13:34-35
Often in my Christian life, joy has taken a backseat to hard work and responsibility. However, I see now more than ever that activity not firmly rooted to joy in Christ, is no Christian life at all! No matter how hard I work, no matter how much I give, no matter how many homeless I feed, orphans I adopt or children I sponsor, if I am not compelled to act through Christ's love out of love, then I do it all for nothing!
