Friday, October 19, 2012

How to Increase Your Joy!


Scripture: Philippians 1:1-11
Paul and Timothy, bond-servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, including the overseers and deacons: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all, in view of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now. For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. For it is only right for me to feel this way about you all, because I have you in my heart, since both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers of grace with me. For God is my witness, how I long for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment,  so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ; having been filled with the fruit of right

Insights: This entire week we have looked at the four elements that comprise this first road sign back to the journey of life in Christ and the joy He offers.  Today I will express what is actually happening when we do the four things we have discussed this week.  In other words, if we recognize our family and we pray for our family and we work with our family and we mature with our family, then our focus gets taken off of ourselves and placed back on Jesus and others.  You may recall last week me sharing with you about Mike Megginson’s sermons during our revival meetings.  One of the things Mike shared was regarding the formula of joy.  The formula goes like this: when we focus on these things, the four items we have looked at this week, it helps us to live the formula of joy out in our lives Jesus, Others, You.  All too often we get cluttered with ourselves.  In other words, we want it our way and we want our expectations to be met.  What ends up happening at that moment is focus shifts from a vertical position with God to a horizontal position of others.  When that shift happens, we begun to fuss and fight because our direction has gotten out of balance.  When we repent and allow God to restore our direction, joy is restored.

Questions:
  1. Are you getting back on the road to joy in Christ Jesus?
  2. Are you willing to share the gospel and watch your joy meter rise?
Prayer: Father, thank You again for the family You have given to me.  May our journey of life in Christ and the joy He offers be full.  Amen. 

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