Week Three - Day Six
Joy In The Spirit
Joy is a word that we as Christians usually hear more at Christmas. After all, what greater joy is there than knowing that our Savior came to live among us and gift us with eternal life? The world also promises us joy during this season - that gift we always wanted, the perfect Christmas meal with the whole family around the table, and many special activities that only happen at this time of year.
But there have been times when many of us have experienced anything but joy at Christmas – the loss of a loved one, an estranged family member, health concerns that prevent us from celebrating loved traditions, and the melancholy that occurs when we remember Christmases past.
I believe our passage today shows us another way to view joy. Verse 6 says, “And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit. . .” Did you notice that the word “joy” follows closely after the word “affliction”? And that this joy has something to do with the Holy Spirit? Christ brought joy to the world when He was born, and He will bring it again when He returns. But the Spirit gives us the ability to experience joy all the time because He lives in us. Be looking for that Spirit-filled joy this season, even as you face the difficulties of this fallen world.