And I’ve been thinking about the touch of joy.
Do you know what sucks the joy out of me?
When I realize that I have said something to someone that I should have never said. It might have been a mean or inconsiderate comment. It might have been a thoughtless and unintentional joke. Whatever it was, when my lack of tact gets the best of me I am joyless. Even more, I am concerned that my inability to be gentle with others has robbed them of joy as well.
I’m learning that joy and gentleness go hand in hand.
The following two verses are taken from the fourth reading from last Sunday’s Advent texts.
“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. – Philippians 4:4-5
Joy, unlike happiness, is not determined by our circumstances. Joy is not possible simply because we’ve made a decision. Joy is already present because of WHO is present. Our command to rejoice is just as much of a command to “follow” than anything else.
And the One whom we follow is the One who is present.
“…the Lord is near”
We rejoice because the Lord is near.
He is the Lord who joyfully sings over his people as he restores them.
He is the Holy One in their midst who saves them and gives them a drink.
He is the Judge, holding the axe at the root of the tree for their good and his kingdom.
In all these things we recognize that in the Lord’s nearness, he is the fullness of joy.
We also come to learn that in all that he does, he is gentle.
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Jason Martin 