October 10
1 Thessalonians 2:9-3:13
We can all confuse pleasure and contentment with joy. We can become pleasure addicts seeking the next fix or feeling a loss of pleasure when things don’t go according to plan.
There is an experience that is more satisfying than momentary happiness and it is joy. It is not fleeting but a deep state of mind that is obtainable by all believers. Joy is ultimately not to be found in things but in a person. It can be defined as a state of delighting in God and his good gifts. One way Paul found joy was by bringing the Thessalonians to Christ. They were Paul’s pride and joy (2:20). We should find joy in Jesus and in those God has transformed. Paul was in the middle of “stress and crushing difficulties” (3:7), yet his joy had nothing to do with his circumstances. He was focused not on himself but on how God was at work and the changed lives of those around him. Being intimately involved in the lives of those around you may seem daunting and it will involve hard work. As Paul’s example demonstrates it is also a source of joy and celebration. It is joy in the presence of God.
Father God, thank you so much for the joy of seeing people come to Christ. May I overflow with love, have your Spirit’s strength, and be filled with confidence in your presence. Amen.
How can you more deeply root your joy in Christ and how he is working in the lives of others?
We can all confuse pleasure and contentment with joy. We can become pleasure addicts seeking the next fix or feeling a loss of pleasure when things don’t go according to plan.
There is an experience that is more satisfying than momentary happiness and it is joy. It is not fleeting but a deep state of mind that is obtainable by all believers. Joy is ultimately not to be found in things but in a person. It can be defined as a state of delighting in God and his good gifts. One way Paul found joy was by bringing the Thessalonians to Christ. They were Paul’s pride and joy (2:20). We should find joy in Jesus and in those God has transformed. Paul was in the middle of “stress and crushing difficulties” (3:7), yet his joy had nothing to do with his circumstances. He was focused not on himself but on how God was at work and the changed lives of those around him. Being intimately involved in the lives of those around you may seem daunting and it will involve hard work. As Paul’s example demonstrates it is also a source of joy and celebration. It is joy in the presence of God.
Father God, thank you so much for the joy of seeing people come to Christ. May I overflow with love, have your Spirit’s strength, and be filled with confidence in your presence. Amen.
How can you more deeply root your joy in Christ and how he is working in the lives of others?
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