Joy To The World

When He was speaking to His disciples he said this in John chapter 16 verse 22 “Therefore you too have grief now; but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you.”

Here in this world there are many that will try to take your joy away from you. We are part of a society that finds joy in many things other than Jesus. I shared this on Wednesday night but I’m going to share it again here today. Sarah, Katie and I were out on Tuesday doing some shopping to finish out the angel tree gifts and we got a call from a close friend. We decided to meet up at McDonald’s because our friend Mariah was leaving to be with her husband in Washington. They were married here the day before Thanksgiving and he had to go back to Washington because he is a Marine and is stationed there. Anyhow I said all that to say this. I walked in wearing a Polar Plunge hoodie from 2012 or 13, I don’t remember which and a gentleman asked me if the water was cold the year I did that. Sarah told him that they had to clear the ice away from the water before we plunged that year and I told him that I was dressed up as a smurf but didn’t really need the blue paint, my legs were already blue from the cold winds. I went up to place an order and I don’t know what he said after that, but Sarah told him that I am a pastor. The guy said he wouldn’t have guessed I was a pastor. Now when we walked in, Katie and I were kidding around with each other as we do and we were laughing and enjoying ourselves. I have no idea why that guy would have not taken me to be a pastor. Was it because I was publicly displaying joy and that’s not something society thinks pastors do? Was it because I’m young? I didn’t ask him because I didn’t know he said that until we left or I would have. I did a Google search for “what does a pastor look like” and clicked on the images button to display pictures of what Google searches come up with. Most of the pictures showed white men in ties, with a few men of color also in ties, there were even a few pictures of female pastors, also dressed in nice attire. Most of them when showed in public had a microphone in their hand or they were holding up signs in support or protest of something. What I didn’t see was a picture of a man or woman in the community, having fun, enjoying their surroundings, spreading Joy. Why is that? In my opinion it is because so many of us have been baptized in pickle juice and we walk around without our Joy showing. We suppress it, we compartmentalize Jesus and let Him out in comfortable areas. I’m speaking in generalities here, so don’t think I’m calling you out. If you feel called out, it’s the Spirit’s doing not mine because I’m only sharing what I feel I am being led to share.

Why do we suppress our joy? We see it shared quite a bit at Christmas time. We see it shared around Easter time, and those are the times of year for the greatest turn out at Church services. We celebrate joyously the birth and the resurrection of Christ during those times. Why do we only celebrate joyously then? Joy to the world, the Lord has come! That’s only a Christmas song because we make it out to be one. Where in those lyrics does it say Christmas? Where in those lyrics does it say winter? This is a song to be sang every day of our lives and shared with everyone as the good news that is Jesus has come, He has died, He has ascended, and He is coming back! We go through our lives, we work, eat, sleep, repeat right? Romans 14:17 says “for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” Romans chapter 14 addresses the worldly judgment of one another. It teaches that we are not to judge, but we are to know that Jesus came as a sacrifice for ALL, Joy to the WORLD, not just to the Christians, not just to the Jews, not just to the “insert your group here…” Judging is something that zaps our joy… whether we are the one doing the judging or the one being judged… either way it is a joy decreasing task, instead we should love and direct. The whole world rejoices in the coming of our Lord. Let His kingdom come as we were taught to pray.