I can hardly believe we are halfway through the calendar year and heading helter skelter towards the longest day. With the winter months behind us and the balmy summer evenings ahead, I wonder what brings you Joy?
Perhaps it’s the early morning sun streaming through the curtains, the thought of an exciting day ahead, meeting up with friends, a pet requiring your loving attention or even a newly formed relationship. The film “H” for Hawk, was doing the round of the cinemas earlier this year. It shows beautiful, stunning video footage of a bird of prey in flight hunting and has a transforming influence on the relationship with its owner. The hawk, called Mable, brings an amazing amount of Joy to an academic lady as she recovers from the sudden and tragic death of her Father.
So back to the question, what it is that brings you Joy in your Christian life?
May be an uplifting worship service, the friendship and concern of those around you or a sermon that you have heard in person or online.
For me, it is seeing peoples’ lives transformed and impacted by the risen Christ through the scriptures. Recently, when visiting my daughter in Solihull we were reminded of the words of St Paul in 1 Thessalonians 5 v16, “Be joyful always. Pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
I can hear many of you saying that’s a really tall order with all that’s going on in the world, multiple wars, climate change, rising cost of living, not to mention the family and health challenges that come our way. Of course, St Paul was not immune from life’s challenges either. He followed Christ in a brutal world with opposition at almost every twist and turn. Yet, despite that, he knew where he was heading. We likewise are able to be joyful and give thanks in whatever life brings our way. How you might ask did Paul manage this? Well, Paul knew where he was going and was able to be joyful in the situation, not for it. It is the same for us.
We are reminded by Paul to pray, to accept “God’s will for us in Christ Jesus”
Inspired by His spirit working through us, we can count our blessings for the small Joyful experience’s daily life.
