Thoughts of Grace : Happy Happy Fun or Joy?
"You betrayed me!" She screamed.
She had been starved. Shaved of her long beautiful hair. Cold had nipped at her for weeks. She had hung from shackles and drowned in freezing water, with constant questioning. At the end of man painful weeks, the interrogator gave his ultimatum.
"Tell me where your friend is"
"No."
"You know you will die."
"Yes, it will be better to die around the side of a dumpster than to give up"
In her imprisonment she found a note, written in such small writing so small it would have been mistaken for scratches. The note was a letter written by a previous prisoner. She wrote something to the effect:
Though they take my hair, my dignity, my hope, and my life, there are those few inches that they will never take. They will eventually take my life, but never will they take that small part of me. Fight for it, never give them those few inches, though you will be snuffed out.
After her refusal, She finally understood. To give up the information and to live would be a empty shell. But to die and hold on to that one piece of information, victory - even though it would be the end of the race.
Her interrogator paused.
"You fear nothing then. You are free to go"
Free to go?
She paused and walked out. The corridor became a hallway, and the hallway a room. And in that room resided a man.
Her friend. Her friend she had tried to protect.
"You betrayed me!" Why would he put her through all this?
"You were always afraid, of the government, death, pain, and i wanted to free you of it. Do you now see? You fear nothing. Not even death?"
"I hate you!" She screamed. Tears were flowing.
"You will soon see"
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What does that disturbing story have to do with Joy?
I will not reference the dictionary this time, since Joy uses Happiness in its definition.
I personally call "Happiness" the temporary external rejoicing and pleasure it is often dependant on objects or circumstances outside the body.
Joy I will define as the internal rejoicing and pleasure, that which does not change.
Matthew 6
We love birthdays. We love good food. We love good friends. We love good fellowship. We love a good bible study.
Sometimes they just arent good.
And we scramble! We claw trying to reassemble that external dependant happiness much like this:
earnestly I seek you;
my soul thirsts for you,
my body longs for you,
in a dry and weary land
where there is no water.
Our only problem is that we fill our mouths with Happiness, and try to maintain that. How we should learn to develop the springs of life within our soul. Our capacities are so weak for containing Joy.
What is an example of Joy?
Joy is that silent agreement of the bibles pronouncement of God, though your peers deny it and mock you. You are battered, you are tired, but you shall not give in. That is Joy.
You watch your friends go through a difficult trial of disease, or loss, or destruction, but you see them flounder and being to wrestle with God's hand upon their lives. Who in this world can rejoice at afflictions other than those who have promises in God's word to deal with them! That is joy.
And even when you feel the steel grinding in your heart battling selfishness, and you press on, to set your thoughts in the mind and well being of your neighbors. That is Joy.
So count it all joy my brethren when you are distressed by various trials, for you know the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect that you may be full and complete, lacking nothing. (james 1)
Lose some happiness because of Christ? Think. How much joy do you feel? How much agreement do you feel with God's word? Though you have every reason to despair and complain? What will you do, oh child of God?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In application, how much do we teach our freshmen, sophomores, juniors, seniors, that Happiness comes and goes with Objects and events, and should be pursued with as much effort as our meals that come and go. Joy, on the other hand, is pure protected Gold. The agreement and since peace that faith in the bible and in God brings are the inches that will never be taken away from us. Not by sword, not by word, not by fire.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Summary: Inches matter. If you do not grow in inches, hold on to those inches, and press on even more, how will you stand up tall in the face of adversity. Cherish Joy. Seek the Joy that is not found in events or objects or people.
She had been starved. Shaved of her long beautiful hair. Cold had nipped at her for weeks. She had hung from shackles and drowned in freezing water, with constant questioning. At the end of man painful weeks, the interrogator gave his ultimatum.
"Tell me where your friend is"
"No."
"You know you will die."
"Yes, it will be better to die around the side of a dumpster than to give up"
In her imprisonment she found a note, written in such small writing so small it would have been mistaken for scratches. The note was a letter written by a previous prisoner. She wrote something to the effect:
Though they take my hair, my dignity, my hope, and my life, there are those few inches that they will never take. They will eventually take my life, but never will they take that small part of me. Fight for it, never give them those few inches, though you will be snuffed out.
After her refusal, She finally understood. To give up the information and to live would be a empty shell. But to die and hold on to that one piece of information, victory - even though it would be the end of the race.
Her interrogator paused.
"You fear nothing then. You are free to go"
Free to go?
She paused and walked out. The corridor became a hallway, and the hallway a room. And in that room resided a man.
Her friend. Her friend she had tried to protect.
"You betrayed me!" Why would he put her through all this?
"You were always afraid, of the government, death, pain, and i wanted to free you of it. Do you now see? You fear nothing. Not even death?"
"I hate you!" She screamed. Tears were flowing.
"You will soon see"
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What does that disturbing story have to do with Joy?
I will not reference the dictionary this time, since Joy uses Happiness in its definition.
I personally call "Happiness" the temporary external rejoicing and pleasure it is often dependant on objects or circumstances outside the body.
Joy I will define as the internal rejoicing and pleasure, that which does not change.
Treasures in Heaven
19"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.Matthew 6
We love birthdays. We love good food. We love good friends. We love good fellowship. We love a good bible study.
Sometimes they just arent good.
And we scramble! We claw trying to reassemble that external dependant happiness much like this:
Psalm 63
A psalm of David. When he was in the Desert of Judah.
1 O God, you are my God,earnestly I seek you;
my soul thirsts for you,
my body longs for you,
in a dry and weary land
where there is no water.
Our only problem is that we fill our mouths with Happiness, and try to maintain that. How we should learn to develop the springs of life within our soul. Our capacities are so weak for containing Joy.
What is an example of Joy?
Joy is that silent agreement of the bibles pronouncement of God, though your peers deny it and mock you. You are battered, you are tired, but you shall not give in. That is Joy.
You watch your friends go through a difficult trial of disease, or loss, or destruction, but you see them flounder and being to wrestle with God's hand upon their lives. Who in this world can rejoice at afflictions other than those who have promises in God's word to deal with them! That is joy.
And even when you feel the steel grinding in your heart battling selfishness, and you press on, to set your thoughts in the mind and well being of your neighbors. That is Joy.
So count it all joy my brethren when you are distressed by various trials, for you know the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect that you may be full and complete, lacking nothing. (james 1)
Lose some happiness because of Christ? Think. How much joy do you feel? How much agreement do you feel with God's word? Though you have every reason to despair and complain? What will you do, oh child of God?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In application, how much do we teach our freshmen, sophomores, juniors, seniors, that Happiness comes and goes with Objects and events, and should be pursued with as much effort as our meals that come and go. Joy, on the other hand, is pure protected Gold. The agreement and since peace that faith in the bible and in God brings are the inches that will never be taken away from us. Not by sword, not by word, not by fire.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Summary: Inches matter. If you do not grow in inches, hold on to those inches, and press on even more, how will you stand up tall in the face of adversity. Cherish Joy. Seek the Joy that is not found in events or objects or people.
posted by Tim Lee at 8:05 PM
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