10 entries for this category:
| Celebration in Hard Times |
Joy comes when we discipline ourselves to celebrate. In the Bible God commands six feasts and only one fast. That`s a six to one ratio. It just goes to show, God`s a party animal. God commands us to celebrate. It is a discipline of celebration. So celebrate even when times are hard. As I`ve told you before, in our house on Sundays, we have chocolate milk all day long just to remind us that Jesus is good. Go have a "joy day, " do things that give you joy, maybe not happiness but joy, because even when things are hard, when we celebrate it reminds us that there`s always at least one good thing in life. At least one, and usually two, or more. Get close to Jesus, die to self and build his kingdom, celebrate. Now right now, some of you might be saying, "Whoa. Wait a minute Scott. You do not understand. There is no way I can have joy right now. You don`t understand. I just got the bad news from the doctor, or my kid won`t talk to me, or I`m going through a divorce. You don`t understand." Those things are very real, and they are very hard, and they are very painful. And I don`t think joy means running around with a fake smile on our face pretending that things don`t hurt when they do. That`s not joy, that`s phony, and God doesn`t ask us to be phony. But what the Bible promises is that as we get close to Jesus, build his kingdom, celebrate, obey his commands ''which Jesus says were made to give us joy not make us miserable'', yes there will still be pain in life but God will give us a gift of confidence, wholeness, and joy that transcends what`s going on. By: Scott Dudley Category: Comfort for the Sorrowful |
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