Christmas morning. Joy to the world the Lord is come, let earth receive her King! The first thing that crossed my mind this glorious morning was "Joy". This world was blessed over two thousand years ago with the joyous occasion of the birth of Jesus. Immediate joy was received by all that were in attendance as they basked in the light that had just entered this world. A few years ago, I wrote about the acronym for the word JOY, but a small review of what it truly means to offer "Joy" in this world is well worth the effort.
A dear friend of mine, Pastor Rick Bradbury, shared a sermon once on the true meaning of JOY, and it has always resonated well with me. First, I guess we need to define the word itself. Joy is defined as a feeling of great pleasure and happiness. That's the Webster take on this little three letter word. The Biblical perspective on the same word, joy, is choosing to respond to external circumstances with inner contentment and satisfaction, because we know that God will use these experiences to accomplish His work in and through our lives. The world's definition of joy deals with pleasure which is obtained by getting something such as, the man was filled with joy when he saw that his home was spared by the tornado. The experience of joy was precipitated by the fact that he received a gift of sorts when his house was not destroyed by nature's force. Same word, yet through the lens of faith, joy becomes something that we experience not because of what we have been given, but instead about what we have received through God's gift to us. Internal joy is only found when we understand that what happens in us and through us is more rewarding than anything this world can offer or give us.
So how do we receive the true JOY of the gift God gave us through the birth of His Heavenly Son? That's where the acronym comes into our conversation today. "J" is for Jesus first. When we place Jesus first in our lives we no longer have to receive gifts to be content. All we need is found in Christ and all we do centers on how we can better serve "O" Others for Him. When we place our focus on how we can serve others then we are moving our attention away from our own situations and circumstances. As I mentioned above, when our focus is on God and others then we find peace i.e. true joy in the knowledge that what God does in us through whatever goes on in our lives is where we can find contentment and real joy. So, the "Y" is Yourself. In the world we live in today, there is so much emphasis on taking care of yourself first and then give whatever is left over to others. This is counter intuitive to the place where we find true JOY.
What can you do to be more in line with the joy that only comes from above? I remember when it was normal to hear this scripture, "it is better to give than to receive" (Acts 20:35), yet over the last several years it feels like everything in our world is more about "get everything you can and forget everyone else". That way of thinking leaves us empty and void of the contentment we seek. The "newest" whatever satisfies us for the moment, but soon thereafter the shine dulls or the new version becomes the last version and we want more. Give of yourself, much like Jesus did in His life on earth. His time here was short in comparison to today's average lifespan, but during his thirty some years, Jesus taught, Jesus healed, Jesus prayed, and then Jesus died for you and me. His life was a living sacrifice of giving and not receiving. Live for Jesus, live like Jesus, and give more of all you have and all you are to others and the true joy of Christmas will live inside you not only today, but throughout your life!
"For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manager. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." Luke 2:11-14
"Joy to the World the Lord is come! Let earth receive her King!"
Merry Christmas!
Coach Carter
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