Hearts of Joy
I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.
John 15:11
Jesus told his apostles to keep his commands so they will remain in his love. It’s a heart of love that truly enables us know the Lord. Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. (1 John 4:7) God is love, and our hearts have to be filled with God’s love so we will truly know God. And the closer we are to the Lord the more love, peace, and joy we experience.
Knowing and depending on Christ, knowing he is always with us, and knowing we have eternal life; fills our hearts with unending joy. Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. (James 4:14) This life is short like a vapor, but life is our soul which lives forever. Therefore, we live for eternity to be in the presence of the Father and the Son. This is our joy, knowing that day will come when Christ will return and take us home.
The love in our hearts increases as we are motivated to serve the Lord pointing the world to Christ. And the more love we have in hearts the closer we are to the Lord, and the more we desire to depart this world and be with Christ. I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; (Philippians 1:23) The apostle Paul was torn between staying and ministering to the churches, or depart and be with Christ. Paul was ready to depart this world to be with Christ, because he knew the divine blessing of being close to Christ. Paul lived with joy because he knew the blessing of being in the presence of the Father and the Son.
And we have the same divine joy from the Lord, which is unlike any joy we receive from the world. All the blessings we received through the Spirit are divine and nothing in the world compares. We can have money, power, possessions, and travel to our hearts desire; but nothing in this world compares to knowing Christ and receiving his blessings. And that is because we are created in the image of God, and we are being molded to be like Jesus.
Today fill your mind and heart with divine joy, because Christ is with you and Heaven is your home. Seek to tell others of the blessings of Christ and the eternal life.
Prayer: Lord help me to reflect your joy and love to the world. In Jesus name, Amen