I recently witnessed a discussion on Facebook regarding when it is appropriate to put up Christmas decorations. Personally I love Christmas. My mother one year began listening to Christmas music in October. That was torture. Why? Because by the time Christmas actually rolled around I was so sick of hearing those same songs over and over that it actually took some of the joy out of the holiday. I am not however scarred by that event and when I think on it, it is an awesome memory.
Still it is amazing to me how often I let little things take my joy. It can be service times at a restaurant, or the guy in front of me in line at the gas station buying lottery tickets when I am in a hurry, stupid little things take my joy. And I let them. Why? Why would I let something so petty steal my joy when I know that 1. My God has created a planet perfect for my existence and 2. That same God has given me the opportunity to live forever with Him.
As Christians it seems that we, while in our struggle against sin, allow the little things creep in and steal bits of our joy. As Christians we should be the most joyous people around. We should not let the little things sneak in and distract us from the fact that we are heirs to the Kingdom of God. We are his children. He chose us.
In this season of Holidays we can easily get caught up in the hustle and bustle of family dinners, fellowship with friends, and hopefully remembering and being thankful for the blessings we have been given. Let us not fall prey to society’s pull to take your joy with stress and distractions like lower prices on things we don’t really need.
Let’s instead remember our joy. Let us remember that we can know that we have eternal life (1John 5:13). We can know that God loves us (John 3:16). Because of those things there should not be any time, any event, any person that can steal our Joy. But also we must remember that as Christians our Joy began at the beginning. When Almighty God said “Let us make man in Our own image” (Gen. 1:26). Our Joy is in Christ, who was there from the beginning, who was there on the cross burdened with our sins, and who will come again to take His bride home. Home to bask in Joy.
James Bennett
Hooker Church of Christ
Hooker, OK