The Greatest Life of All
-A Life of Joy-
Luke 2:9-14
The angel of the Lord gave a reassuring word to the shepherds: “Don’t be afraid! I bring you good news of great joy for everyone! The Savior – yes, the Messiah, the Lord – has been born tonight in Bethlehem, the city of David.” Luke 2:10-11 The greatest life is a life of joy.
Ever since the announcement of the angel to the shepherds announced that Jesus was good news of great joy, we have been singing about the “Joy” that Jesus brings.
“Joy to the world, the Lord has come.”
It’s interesting how various fads and styles in music change from year to year, but the Christmas carols down through the years stay the same.
A recent fad in singing is unique. Have you heard about anti-music singing groups? Our Stockton FMC is reaching out to their community with sports and recreation on Saturday evenings. They have reached several leaders in a singing group that volunteer to sing at their events. They are always looking for opportunities to perform, but have a hard time getting bookings. Pastor Paul Koval has made friends with the leaders and has them give their anti-music. Their sounds are growling with loud sounds in a microphone and various anti-music sounds. The music is off key with notes in a minor key. ANTI-MUSIC has been described recently as:
1) The new punk
2) The next big thing
3) The worst thing to happen to you since fishhooks in the eyes.
I checked Google and for anti-music thee are more than 19 million hits.
Much of the contemporary secular music reveals that people are searching for meaning to life. I listed to some of the anti-music it reflects the despair that many youth are feeling in their lives. There is no JOY in the anti-music either in the music or lyrics.
All the Christmas carols carry the theme of “Joy.” What a privilege it is for us to be able to sing out with praise to our Lord.
A group of Korean business leaders – all Christian – visited the United States recently with news about the plight of believers in North Korea. “There has been terrible persecution,” they reported. “And thousands have died for their faith; yet many still worship despite danger and death threats. When they gather, it’s in complete secrecy; and when they sing, it is done in silence. They open their mouths in unison, but they allow no sound from their voices for fear of being, overhead.” (Page 110 – The 12 Ways of Christmas by David Jeremiah)
Can you imagine going through Christmas with no sounds of Christmas carols?
Why do so many people lack joy? Could it be they are so occupied with themselves they are miserable and turn to self -pity?
When Christ is left out of Christmas people celebrate me-mas. Me-mas is a self-centered worldview. There is no joy when we’re the reason for the season.
Early in my ministry I got caught up in memas and forgot what my primary calling was. I was in my third year of ministry and I allowed myself to develop feelings of self-pity. I lost the joy of pastoral ministry. Ministry became drudgery. I deserved better than this. Why didn’t the people understand what an outstanding pastor they had?
I was a leader in the Greater Kansas City Evangelical Fellowship, A trainer for counselors in the Billy Graham Crusade and coordinator of Billy Graham films in local theaters.
Only when I confess my feelings of hostility, critical attitudes of self-pity did I regain my joy.
From personal experience I can tell you that whatever is keeping you from experiencing the joy of the Lord is not worth it.
Honest confession helps you regain the joy of the Lord.
The Angel sang out, “I bring you good news of great joy.” The Apostle Paul had a deep joy in his life. During dark days in his life he sang out, “Rejoice in the Lord and I say it again, rejoice in the Lord.” Philippians 4:4
Too often we focus on our burdens rather than on God. It often is in the odd moments of the day that the termites of negativism and depression get into our minds. We can turn away from negative thinking: “I always get the hardest job” or “Nobody appreciates me?”
By faith we can by an act of our will keep from wallowing in negativism and say in our heart: “All things work together for good to them that love the Lord.” We can sing in our heart, “This is the day the Lord has made I will rejoice and be glad in it.”
Remember, whatever your thoughts or actions you take, the emotions you feel, you are fully responsible for them.” If you are in the will of God, then whatever happens to you does matter to God and He is your refuge and strength.
God in his word gives you this promise: “When you pass through deep waters I will be with you; your troubles will not overwhelm you. When you pass through fire, you will not be burned; the hard trials that come will not hurt you. For I am the Lord your God.” Isaiah 43:2
The living Bible translates Psalm 43:5 this way, “Why be so gloomy and discouraged? Trust in God! Then I shall praise Him for His wondrous help; He will make me smile again.”
This Christmas why not take a journey into joy.
One way to experience joy is by giving to help others. When you do an act of kindness for someone with no strings attached you feel blessed. When you give a gift to a needy person you experience joy in your heart. As scripture states: “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
When Katie Fisher was seventeen years old she experienced compassion from a group of complete strangers. Katie was battling Burkitt’s Lymphoma, a fast-growing malignancy. She spent months of treatment in hospitals with numerous rounds of chemotherapy and unrelenting pain. She had taken one of her lambs to the local Junior Livestock Sale in hopes of raising some spending money.
When the lamb came up for auction, the auctioneer let folks in the arena know about Katie’s situation anticipating that her lamb would bring a bit more than the $2 per pound average. And it did. The lamb sold for $11.50 per pound – but then the buyer gave it back so it could be sold again. Every time it would sell, a cry of “Re-sell!” could be heard and the lamb would be sold again. Families and businesses bought and sold Katie’s lamb 36 times, netting her more than $16,000 that went to help pay for her medical expenses. And the last buyer gave Katie back her lamb for her to keep.
We feel good when we give to help others out. If you had been at that auction you would have chipped in the help out a suffering teenager.
This Christmas you can show your love and affection by giving a gift, a letter, a helping hand, a visit, a kind word; Or more important, offer forgiveness or an act of reconciliation to make this Christmas a joyous celebration.
Let me offer several suggestions to experience the joy of the Lord in your family this Christmas. I found these suggestions in my file notes when I was preparing this Christmas Eve devotional. I’ m not sure of the source.
1. Keep skid chains on your tongue: always say less than you think. Cultivate a low, persuasive voice. How you say it often counts more than what you say.
2. Make promises sparingly, and keep them faithfully, know what it costs.
3. Never let an opportunity pass to say a kind word and encouraging word to or about somebody. Praise good work, regardless of who did it. If criticism is needed, criticize helpfully, never spitefully.
4. Be interested in others, their pursuits, their work, their homes and families. Make merry with those who rejoice; with those who weep, mourn.
5. Be cheerful. Don’t burden or depress those around you by dwelling on your minor aches and pains and small disappointments. Remember, everyone is carrying some kind of load.
6. Keep an open mind. Discuss but don’t argue. It is a mark of a superior mind to be able to disagree without being disagreeable.
7. Let your virtues speak for themselves. Refuse to talk of another’s vices. Discourage gossip. It is a waste of valuable time and can be extremely destructive.
8. Be careful of another’s feelings. Wit and humor at the other person’s expense are rarely worth it and may hurt when least expected.
9. Pay no attention to ill-natured remarks about you. Remember, the person who carried the message may not be the most accurate reporter in the world. Simply live in such a way that no one will believe them.
10. Don’t be too anxious about the credit due. Do you best, and be patient. Forget about yourself, and let others ‘remember.’ Success is much sweeter that way.
As we light our candles this Christmas Eve let’s invite Jesus anew into our hearts and experience His Joy and then by our life and witness spread that Joy along our life’s journey.
Let us pray!
