Fight For Your Joy!

 

Today is supposed to be a day full of joy (12-25-14). And for the most part it has been. The pain and fatigue have been rough today. I have had to take a nap two separate times just from being so tired. Life has been good today and I am thankful. I have been blessed on so many fronts. I got things I was expecting and things I wasn’t. The biggest surprise today was the joy I saw in my boys as they got gifts they are really going to enjoy.

I thought of something the Lord said in John 10:10 he says, “That I have come to give them life more abundantly.” Now life is not really in the abundance of things. Where I saw abundance today was time spent with family  can never be taken away. It was the look of a child getting a gift  he desperately wanted.

This is not so easy to remember during this season of year. People myself in particular tend to get more depressed. Mine stems from the loss of my father 20 years ago right before Thanksgiving. It has made me dread the holidays more and more. But now, having children of my own and to see them enjoying not only the gifts, but the presence of the family makes it better.

It is a fight though to see things this way. I have to preach the gospel to myself daily. I have to remember  Christ died so  I could live a life pleasing to him. And not seeking to please and honor myself. When I do live that way, joy is abundant. He gives me a joy that surpass all human understanding.For which I am grateful.

Teaching my boys how to view Christmas is not an easy thing to do when one still believes in Santa Claus. Ethan (the oldest) doesn’t. He does however claim to know Jesus and says he’s the reason  why we celebrate Christmas. Ricard (the youngest) goes along with that, even though he still likes the idea of Santa.  Life has been good these last few days. It has still been tough but it has been good. If we are not willing to fight for something in our lives, then do we really desire to have it? This is why we must fight for joy and not just expect it to show up at our doorways. Like any fight you are probably going to take some blows, but the goal is to handle them well and win the battle.

Just because we are Christians doesn’t mean we are supposed to have life easy. Actually we can expect to have the opposite. We are told by Jesus and Paul to expect to fight. Why do you think in Ephesians 6 Paul tells us to put on the whole armor of God. So we can stand around and look pretty? NO! We are in battle and have to be ready at all times. So suit up and get ready for a bumpy ride. I can make you two promises.

Life is going to be hard (especially if you want to follow Jesus biblically). And in the end it will all be worth it. Our reward is temporary hear on the earth. We get just a foretaste of what true joy is every time we experience joy here. So I encourage you, don’t give up because it is hard. FIGHT BACK! With God on your side. I have heard it said me plus God is a majority. Meaning this “With God on my side I can do anything.”

What can you do to fight back and take hold of your joy?