What steals your joy?




    John MacArthur's commentary on Philippians 1:12-18 is valuable for personal reflection and assessment of the condition our faith in Christ. He says this,

Now I have always believed that the measure of a person's spiritual character, the measure of their spiritual strength and the measure of their spiritual maturity is what it takes to steal their joy. At whatever point your joy breaks down, that's the level of your spiritual strength. You can find out how mature you are, how Spirit-controlled you are, how spiritually virtuous you are by finding the breaking point where joy is lost and bitterness and negativism, critical spirit, sullenness begins to creep in and take over your life. The measure of your joy is how you react not to things the way you'd like them to be but the things the way you wouldn't like them to be.

    A brief background on this letter to the Philippians helps us to understand it better. The apostle Paul is under prolonged house arrest in Rome and is chained to a Roman guard 24 hours a day (see Acts 28) while awaiting trial. There was the possibility of being sentenced to death but it did not break his joy in the Lord. Clearly, Paul's joy did not rest upon his present circumstances which is more dire than what many of us will ever experience in our lifetime. John MacArthur continues with the following point,

There should be no point in the life of a believer where joy is forfeited to sullenness, bitterness, negativism because of some things that aren't the way we'd like them to be. There's only one justification for the loss of joy and that is sin. And when you have fallen into sin, you will need to cry out with the psalmist, "Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation." But nothing short of sin should steal our joy, certainly not circumstances. And yet typically, I mean typically for everyone, a sudden change in conditions, a sudden change in circumstances in our lives, great difficulties, confusion, trials, hard times, attacks, disagreements, unfulfilled ambitions, unmet desires, conflicts, strained relationships, unrealistic expectations unmet, all of these things can throw us off balance and joy is forfeited and bitterness takes its place.

    So how did Paul possess such an unbreakable joy? The answer might surprise you but it's clear in Philippians 1. It was because of his life's purpose which is the advancement of the gospel. Again, John MacArthur beautifully writes,

So, here is a man who has negative circumstances beyond our ability to understand them, chained to a Roman soldier. And yet he's a model of joy. Why? Because his joy isn't related to his comfort. His joy isn't related to his self-indulgence. His joy isn't related to his freedoms. His joy isn't related to his success. We'll find out it isn't even related to his reputation. It isn't related to any of those things. His joy is strictly tied to the advance of the gospel, so he has joy in his ministry, in spite of trouble, as long as the gospel is advanced, as long as Christ's cause is extended. His chains, in a sense, became an effective line of communication to these elite soldiers of the Roman empire. And if they were converted, they would carry the message to the rest of the city and for that matter, the rest of the world. And so he was rejoicing in the progress of the gospel.

Is that where you are? That's really the question. As you look at your own life, is your joy that sort of ebbing and flowing tide of earthly things? Does your joy rise and fall on your pleasure? On your possessions? On your prominence, your prestige, your reputation, your comfort, your fulfilled ambitions? Your almost unrealistic fantasies being realized? Is that where your joy is? If it is, you're going to ride the crest and sink to the depths. You're going to ebb and flow with the times of life, the changing times, the shifting sands. But if your joy is tied to the progress of the gospel and your life is committed to that end, then your joy is ever ever undiminished.

Paul's desire was to honor Christ with his body by courageously sharing the gospel. When we live to honor Christ, then our joy rests on a firm foundation and nothing can ever take it away.

For more on this : Joy in Spite of Trouble by John MacArthur.

Image: Simon Howden / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

A Prayer For Thanksgiving

    Almighty Father, we thank you that all that we have and all that we are comes from You (Acts 17:28). Our health, our lives, our intelligence, and our abilities were knit together by You even before we were born (Psalm 139:13-16). Thank you, Heavenly Father, that You watch over us and care for us (Matthew 6:26-31). You are our peace and You make us dwell in safety so that we can rest (Psalm 4:8). Your word is powerful! In You, the universe is upheld, all things are sustained, and all things endure (Hebrews 1:3, Colossians 1:17). This world is not spiraling out of control for You accomplish all things according to Your will (Ephesians 1:11). Fire, hail, snow, frost, lightning, thunder, rain, and stormy wind are at your beckon (Psalm 148:8, Job 37:6-13). You use all things to fulfill your purpose - yes, even evil and suffering - for Your glory, and for our good (Romans 8:28, Proverbs 16:4). Human knowledge cannot fathom Your mind. We cannot counsel You about what's best for us nor can we blame You for our circumstances, because you are God from everlasting to everlasting, you are omnipotent, and you are the only All-Powerful, Almighty, Sovereign Lord.

    Yet, we easily forget your works and your abundant kindness (Nehemiah 9:26, Psalm 106:7,13). As we become satisfied, our hearts become proud and we forget You (Hosea 13:6). Forgive our forgetfulness and our ingratitude. We are not self-made people. What we have did not come from our own strength nor from the power of our own hands. It is by your power, Lord God, that we have this ability to create wealth (Deutoronomy 8:10-18). For what do we have that we did not receive from You?

    When things are going our way, we acknowledge your provision and care. Thank you, Lord, for your benefits. Yet, take them away when our pleasure and satisfaction rests on them. Teach us to be content with the wonderful things that we have already received in Jesus Christ. Remove our eyes from focusing on what we do not possess. We die from being dissatisfied of Your love and care and from these harmful desires for more riches. Godliness with contentment is great gain (1 Timothy 6:6-10). Our pleasure and our satisfaction rests in You because You will never leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). You are most glorified when we are most satisfied in You.

    When we experience loss and setback, spare us from the temptation to murmur and grumble. You have the right determine our circumstances even if it means taking us down to nothing. As you give and as you take away, blessed be Your Name (Job 1:21). Like Paul, sanctify us so that we will be content in whatever circumstances we are in by knowing how to live along with humble means and how to live in prosperity (Philippians 4:11-12). For even in times of wanting and suffering, your grace is sufficient (2 Corinthians 12:9) and we can do all things by Your strength (Philippians 4:13).

    In You, we have everything we need pertaining to life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3). We are not adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from You (2 Corinthians 3:5). So on this Thanksgiving Day, we rejoice in you Lord! And we do so endlessly, not just once a year. For it is your will that we give thanks in everything and in all our circumstances (1 Thessalonians 5:18).

Amen!

A Most Lopsided Exchange

Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.

 - Luke 9:23 (NIV)

What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.

-Philippians 3:8-12 (NIV)

    The choice is on the table : gain what you can in this world or follow Jesus Christ. Both cannot be attained, just as you cannot have two masters. Trading the good life for Jesus Christ is the most lopsided exchange ever. It's like trading in garbage for gold.