by Ted Kalivoda
You believe in him, and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy - 1 Pet. 1:8
Everyone wants joy. Yet daily circumstances often interfere. One day we are happy, the next day sad. Our emotions move up and down like a yo-yo, manipulated by a host of happenings of which we have no control.
Christianity provides an antidote. The first step, of course, being born into Christ, reflects a joyous experience, one entirely unmatched by anything the world can give. That's because it settles the greatest preoccupation of mankind - what will happen to us when we die.
You will remember the glorious announcement of Jesus' birth. An angel appeared in spectacular glory to tell the shepherds of the birth of the Savior: "I bring you good news of great joy" (emphasis mine) (Luke 2:10). That's the Christmas story we all know so well. And it's one we have accepted and experience as a life-changing event.
Yet that initial exuberance falls prey to negative circumstances. Finances, relationships, health, and a string of other problems cause worry, anxiety, doubt, guilt and fear. Those negatives infect us and eat away at our joy, often without our awareness of the toll they take. They often leave us in worse shape than some nonbelievers, so much so that one can't tell the difference between the two. And that should not be!
God designed Christians to be different. Engendered by a new birth in Christ - a miracle in itself - we are blessed by God's new plan for humanity. That blessing took the form of a new covenant accomplished through Christ - a pact designed to give us joy. And that joy was not only for receiving the promise of eternal salvation. It deals with all aspects of life on earth.
Yet we don't always reflect it. Some of us even trudge through life like people who have never laid claim to Christianity. We lose sight of the fact that God intended for us to be different.
Are we really different? Yes we are, in the sense that we have God's Spirit within us, a fact that reflects God's promise of our heavenly destiny. But we don't always reflect it as we deal with life on earth. We get down in the dumps. You do, I do. In weakness we succumb to tragedy, to unpleasant circumstances. And of course we scream out to God that ridiculous word Why? because what we're going through doesn't make sense to us. The result? We get mad at God. We miss out on joyous Christianity, one that keeps a smile on our faces and gives us the ability to conquer whatever comes our way.
It all boils down to the concept of trust, which is faith or belief in a caring heavenly Father. That reflects Paul's words:
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him (emphases mine) (Rom. 15:13).
Well, there it is - "as you trust in him." The highly prized characteristics of joy and peace can become a reality. Trust - a little word, but one with enormous significance. It has a miraculous effect on our lives. Our joy, in fact, depends on it. We'll talk about its ramifications in a coming article.
