His joy spills over

This week a clerk in a store told me that because of all the bad things that happen, she no longer watches the news or reads the newspaper. Last night a neighbor said that too many people are too serious about things, as he lifted another glass of his favorite liquid painkiller.

I wanted to tell both that there is another solution. I wanted to say that Jesus is the answer, but the general attitude toward matters of faith makes me super cautious. Instead of jumping in with the full gospel, I simply offered something that gave them opportunity to show interest. To the clerk, I mentioned prayer for the troubled world. She shrugged that off. As for the neighbor, he would never talk about serious matters anytime, never mind in a group, and not when he is drinking.

I’m still trying to learn the best ways to share my faith in any situation. Spurgeon picked this verse for today, and it is helpful. It summarizes what I want to others to know. 

For our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name. (Psalm 33:21)

For most of my life, I was a pessimist. My tendency was to see the dark side of everything and complain about it. I was not joyful unless circumstances pleased me. But faith in Jesus Christ changed my attitude. How can this change be explained to someone who has no knowledge of Christ? How can I share the beauty of Him to those who use His name only as blasphemy? How can I tell about the marvel of this Head of the Christian church to those whose church experience has been negative? How can I share the power of Jesus to those who are filled with fear instead of faith? What can I say about joy to those who get their sense of well-being by numbing all their senses with alcohol?

Yet Jesus is such good news. His presence in my life changes me. He gives me hope for the future, not a wishful thinking kind of hope, but the certainty that He will do as He says and fulfill all His promises. His track record so far is 100%.

Jesus also removes fear. He says He is with me, and most often I sense His presence. He gives joy based on who He is and what He does, not on circumstances. That means I am not affected by the negatives of life like I used to be. In fact, I can often see the hand of God in the tough stuff. He has purpose and uses all things for my good, even the worst of things.

As for the daily news, the Bible does not paint pie in the sky or paradise on earth. It makes quite clear what humans will do until that day when Christ returns and sets up His kingdom on earth. We have messed up this world and that mess gets increasingly worse. The news saddens me, but does not surprise me or make me afraid. God is still on His throne.

This joy that surpasses understanding is produced by the Holy Spirit. That is why I can be glad in Him. He does it. I don’t have to be an optimist or look for reasons to be joyful. Because of faith in Christ, it is just there.

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Lord, there are sad things happening all around, even in our family. I’ve never understood exactly how You do it, but even in the sad things, even in pain and suffering, Your joy bubbles up anyway. You are such a blessing and Your joy is my strength. With it, the words of a song come to mind . . . “so glad I cannot contain it, so glad I want to give it away” so I pray for open doors, open hearts, and opportunities to tell others about You today.