Yesterday was a pretty fun day! I have to be honest that I don’t say that very frequently. Yesterday was Sunday and at the church I serve, we held worship outside. And it was just plain fun. We had a great time just enjoying each other’s company. The weather was hot but when we thought we’d burn up the breeze blew through our worship pavilion. We sang some songs that to some might seem a bit silly. We did motions that forced us to raise our hands and even dance a little. And if you don’t know anything about the church tradition to which I belong that’s a fairly big deal!
It was just fun! There was a joy that was back for us in that moment. Everyone was smiling. Everyone, even our worship guests, were standing and singing with smiles on their faces. Joy is a vital part of our life as followers of Jesus. Joy is critical to being a disciple of Jesus Christ. Too often I find that we’re going though life on autopilot. We just go through the motions. We let life happen. Even in our worship at times, we get pretty boring. There’s no passion. There’s no excitement. There’s no fun! There’s no joy!
This morning I want to fan that joy into flame. The song Joy of the Lord by Rend Collective is like a theme song for me lately. I absolutely love this group! I was able to see them in concert a couple of weeks ago and they have a genuine joy in knowing Jesus as their savior. It’s powerful and contagious! They were jumping all over the stage and nearly every person in the building was on their feet.
But joy is not happiness. Let’s not get that confused. Joy is knowing that through the rough patches, the times when we can’t even muster a smile, God is in control. Joy is knowing that when everything around us crashing to the ground and we just want to throw in the towel, that Jesus is still on our side. Joy is the assurance that despite the challenges this life offers we will overcome.
Today might be a dark day for you, but in that darkness take a moment and dance! There will likely be shadows that seem to overcome, but stop and sing a song of Joy and watch them fade away. Make the chorus of this song your mantra to get through the challenges of life and just have fun today!
The joy of the Lord is my strength.
The joy of the Lord is my strength.
In the darkness I’ll dance.
In the shadows I’ll sing.
The joy of the Lord is my strength.
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