Advent - Choose Joy
We are so pleased to share wisdom this week from Sarah Hewitson, Communications and Production Manager at The C3 Church
The thief comes to kill, steal, and destroy, but I come to bring life and life in abundance.
John 10:10
The word ‘joy’ is banded about frequently at Christmas time. It is after all, the most wonderful time of the year. Cheer is enforced upon us from all angles; commercially, socially and in some ways spiritually too. But how, in the wake of a cost of living crisis, as we tentatively hope that Christmas is not snatched away from us for the third year in a row, do we maintain joy?
More internal narratives across the country than we care to count, will be swirling with thoughts of disappointing the children, friends, and family as we choose between heating and eating and possibly forgo Christmas greetings. Is it, therefore, insensitive to be glad and grateful for what we do have when others have less?
Considering it’s Christmas, this is all actually quite miserable.
The thief comes to kill, steal, and destroy, but I come to bring life and life in abundance. Perhaps a mental shift is required. Perhaps we need something to inspire us into thinking about this differently?
The thing about joy is that it’s not a feeling, it’s a fruit
Gal 5:22-23
Rick Warren says that “Joy is the settled assurance that God is in control of all the details of my life, the quiet confidence that ultimately everything is going to be alright and the determined choice to praise God in every situation.”
The secular world may have attempted to monopolise joy and use the term interchangeably with happiness, but this is just not true. Joy is a feeling of contentment and confidence regardless of our circumstances not because of them. Joy is an outworking of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Joy is consistent, persistent, and resistant to fear and despair.
Like any fruit, joy is harvested after its barer has been well nourished. Joy comes when we are spiritually replenished. And so this is where we would encourage you to become reflective. Are you seeking joy in this season of waiting? Can you be joyful regardless of what is going on around you?
Recently a friend of mine reminded me that while the British may be good at queuing, that does not mean they are good at waiting. In fact, in the waiting there can be a build-up of bitterness, uncertainty and discontent. These are all joyless attributes. We must seek the joy in the waiting. Followers of Jesus are privileged to see a glimpse of the Kingdom of God that is here and not here (1 Peter 1:6-7) and that hope of what is to come, allows us to be joyful in the challenges we face now.
So, we have a choice to make this Christmas. Do we allow the thief to come to steal, kill and destroy, or do we make an effort to shift the atmosphere around us to one of joy? The song that we have chosen for this week is Happy by Pharrell Williams. This is not to equate joy with happiness, but rather to give us a good beat to dance to as we wait, with joy and anticipation and expectancy.
