For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost ~ Romans 14:17.
Introduction:
No one is exempt from certain challenges on earth. We all go through disappointments, and we all have times when things don’t go our way. Quite unfortunately, at such times, we become perplexed and befuddled amidst the unpredictable narratives of life, and it becomes very easy for circumstances to make us sour and dejected until we end up just barely existing, not living the good life in full. But, that’s not how we were created to be.
If we are going to live in victory, to thrive the way God intends and to enjoy His pacts of plenty to the fullest, we must make conscious decisions regardless of the price to be paid or the efforts needed, and choose to be joyful in spite of the circumstances, every single day.
Truth be told, learning how to rejoice in the midst of trials, delays, betrayals, pains and sufferings is one of the hardest and yet most important lessons to learn in the Christian journey. Albeit, the Lord commands us to “count it all joy” when we experience such untoward situations (James 1:2).
We all must, at all costs, learn to find peace and joy in this troubled world. More so, the negative feelings and illusions arising from our wrong attitudes to trials could be very detrimental to our faith and health.
Happily, Christians have been equipped with “joy in the Holy Ghost” to live in this world of negative happenings without being vexed. That’s how the kingdom life is supposed to be lived.
Choosing Joy In All Situations
There are clear guidelines on how to appropriately respond to any situation we might find ourselves in life. For example, in James 5:13 we read: “Is any among you afflicted? Let him pray. Is any merry? Let him sing psalms”. Similarly, the Bible instructs us to “count it all joy” when we fall into diverse temptations and trials (James 1:2).
It is always good to pray in every situation. But after the prayers, we must still allow joy to flow even in our peculiar times of trial. That way, the Holy Ghost will find His fullest expressions in us and, in the end, God’s promises will be established in our lives.
In our world today, too many people are hurting for too many wrong reasons. And, in many instances, too many people are feeling hopeless for avoidable reasons: their wrong approaches to the issues at hand. Yes, our groans are sometimes credible, especially when they are legitimate cries for fresh manifestation of God’s power in our lives for a new dawn, a new day and a new life (Romans 8:19). Nevertheless, in our groans, we must still “count it all joy.”
Our spiritual walks must affect our circumstances in life, not the other way round. We should never open up to the fits of anger, regrets, grumbling, murmuring, sleeplessness, break in fellowship with God, depression or thoughts of suicide. No, not at all! Our lives are too precious for such mundane and low-level contemplations.
You are a creature of wonder and purpose. God is still thinking about you, and He will surely navigate you to a good end! (Jeremiah 29:11). It will be inexcusable, therefore, for you to live below the line of His glorious expectations. Please hold that fact very tightly, and rejoice always with joy in the Holy Ghost (Philippians 4:4)!
Trials and pains are never palatable! However, whenever God allows them, He equally has your gains in view. A trial is, sometimes, a provocation by adversity, to prove you prior to your final approval for higher placements in life. They are designed to showcase the quality of your faith, and to ascertain if you are truly due for a supernatural work of perfection (James 1:3-4).
Trials are targeted at our machinery of faith. Regardless of their sources, trials are real life examinations of our trust in the Lord (Proverbs16:20). Better still, every trial is a trial of our faith in God, but our positive responses of joy and patience while it lasts strengthen us to inherit the divine promises (Hebrews 6:12).
Joy Versus Happiness
Joy is a spiritual antidote to diverse temptations (Proverbs 17:22). It is an abiding sense of wellbeing, which is aroused by the Spirit of Christ within us (Colossians 1:27). And, wherever you go, He goes with you!
The strength to successfully sail through the channels in-between the devil and the deep blue sea, and to accomplish much in spite of the difficulties is in the joy we have in doing it. Joy is that inner force, strength, power and excitement that drives you to do whatever must be done.
Joy and happiness may appear to be very similar, but they’re not identical. They can exist together in human experiences, but happiness is circumstantial. Happiness depends upon happenings around us, but joy resides within and comes from the Holy Ghost.
To be happy, something has to happen to you. You could be happy because you just moved to your new house, or when you have enough money at hand to bear answers to many social questions in your life. But, none of these can give a lasting satisfaction. Why? Our hearts are designed to long for things deeper than fleeting pleasures. Happiness is a passing emotion, but joy is distilled in our hearts when we rest upon the Lord for Whom we are all made.
Joy is that calmness that dispels the gloom, and it is a gift of the Holy Spirit. We all can receive it if we cooperate well enough with the Holy Spirit. Surely the joy of the Lord is complete and it is permanent (John 15:11).
Joy is a choice. You cannot always be happy, but you can always be joyful. The most joyful people don’t wait to have the best of everything, but they have what it takes to make the best of everything: joy!
Joy is also a decision that we have to make every day by choosing to rely upon the Holy Spirit, moment by moment of our lives. No man can access real joy except through the empowerment of the Holy Ghost. Hence, the Holy Spirit is absolutely irreplaceable in the real Christian life!
The Kingdom of God must be here and now, and our lives must be filled with His Presence if we are to be empowered with renewed vigour, vitality, love, joy and drive to bring forth the answers that our world is craving for.
Brethren, it is incumbent on us to allow the Holy Ghost to find His fullest expressions through us via the channel of pure joy in whatever circumstances we may find ourselves. When we do, we are poised to become the change we want to see, both in our personal lives and in our communities. Friends, receive the fullness of joy in the Holy Ghost, in Jesus Name. Amen. Happy Sunday!
Rhema Christian Church,
Otta, Ogun State, Nigeria.
Connect with Bishop Akinola via these channels:
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Twitter: www.twitter.com/bishopakinola
Facebook: www.facebook.com/bishopakinola
