happiness

I am understanding something about life. Our happiness is usually tied to our expectations, and whether they are met or not. Happiness is the goal of most humans. We usually here people make statements like "well, as long as they are happy". But as followers of Christ, we are invited into so much more. I am reminded of what Jesus said about joy. In John 15, Jesus said

If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete

There is a difference between happiness and joy. Happiness is circumstantial and joy is rooted in truth. Simply put, Jesus cares about our joy, not our happiness. I find it amazing that no where in scripture does God explicitly display a concern for the temporal happiness of mankind. In this verse, Jesus shows how eternal joy is directly connected to obeying His commandments. If we obey, we will have joy. And joy does not depend on our emotions or circumstances.

Recently in my life, I have seen how circumstances either bring me up on down emotionally. I think if I am more concerned about my obedience to Christ rather than the outcome of circumstances, I would boy more joyful and as a result, probably be happier. So the formula for joy I see in scripture is

fall in love with Jesus + obey his commandments = have complete joy (and probably some happiness thrown in there)

pretty simple stuff.


JN

His Goodness

It has been one of those weeks. The Lord is opening my eyes and my heart to see and feel things I never imagined I would feel or see. I hear Him telling me, "this is just the beginning." He is so good.

I apologize for not posting for over two months. I learned something about myself this year, winter has a strange effect on me. I am effected by the physical seasons and it influences my spiritual life. I really enjoy each individual season for what it is, but this past year, the length of grey days and lack of snow took a little bit of a toll on me. Barren would be a word I would use to describe how my prayer life felt at times. But, again, God is always so good. Just as the spring has broken through the desolate and grey, so has my heart through these past few months of winter. Its almost like the scene in the Chronicles of Narnia when the white which realizes that Aslan is on the move and winter is over. The flowers come out as well as the tryaids and the nyads and they celebrate the imminent return of their King. That is what I feel like. And is is a really good feeling.

This past winter has taught me that The Lord is always at work in our souls. Especially, when we think He is not. Like in the winters of the soul. I believe it takes these winters to allow us to come to life in the spring. It takes soul surgery and the feeling that God is distant. It takes pain. But suffering produces steadfastness and steadfastness must complete its work.

God is so good. So. Good. He has given us so much. We truly will never be able to out give Him. Because the King of the Universe dwells within me.

Lord, you are so worthy to be praised.



JN