AINT IT FUN?

Warm-up

What is your greatest pleasure to date?

Word
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Philippians 4:4 (NLT)
Everyone wants to be happy. Nobody wants to be sad. I never heard of anyone whose
prayer is to be upset or miserable. And believe me or not, the God who created you wants
you to be happy. In fact, He wants you to live a life of joy (something that is eternal).
Everyone can be happy. We become happy from pleasant circumstances. When we
get something that we want, when we get the promotion that we want or when we get that
perfect audit and so onthese are manifestations of our happiness. This is what we call
outward happiness. It is short-term and temporary, and more often than not it is comprised
of material successes.
As we live our Christian life, the fruit that which we bear must demonstrate a life of
joy (Galatians 5:22). It is the inward joy that comes from knowing and trusting God and is
based on His presence within us. It is steady and eternal. It defeats discouragement. Pure
joy is not happiness. "Happiness" comes from the word "happen." Happiness, therefore, is
based on what is happening. If something good is happening, then you are happy. However,
God says that pure joy occurs even in the midst of trials--even when the car breaks down, or
when the kids get sick, or when the boss cuts your hours, or when your spouse is in a bad
mood, etc.
Here are some points that will help us understand the importance of joy and how can
we apply this in our lives.
1. Joy is Gods basic character.
We will not understand God until we understand that He is the happiest being
in the universe. And Gods intent was that His creation would mirror His joy
(Genesis 1:31). As products of Gods creation, creatures made in His image, we
are to reflect Gods fierce joy in life.
2. Joy is a command.
The Bible puts joy in the non-optional category. Joylessness is a serious sin.
(Psalm 37:4, Philippians 4:4, I Thessalonians 5: 17). Our joy is for Gods glory. Our
goal is to become a living expression of joy. The greatest display of God's glory
comes from deep delight in all that he is. This means that God gets the praise and

we get the pleasure. God created us so that he is most glorified in us when we are
most satisfied in him.
3. Joy produces strength.
Joys absence creates weakness. Strength is needed to fight. We are called to
"fight the good fight of faith" (1 Timothy 6:12). Many people in the body of Christ
are tired of fighting the good fight of faith. They are struggling to fight because
they have lost their joy. We face different kinds of troubles (John 16:33). The
Scriptures says that we should consider it pure joy whenever we face trials (James
1:2-4).
Real joy is from God. For the believer, it is like a bottomless well of water
always an abundant supply. Even in the darkest days, when sadness, grief, and
loss may threaten to overwhelm you, Gods joy is there. We need to understand
that Gods joy cannot be taken away. By rejoicing you overcome your trials. An
attitude of gratitude will put you over in life.
Wrap-up
You can become a joyful person. With Gods help, it is really possible. You must take
responsible for your joy. Not your friend, not your parents, not your teammates, not your
pets, not your boss can do it for you. The pursuit of joy starts by celebrating. Spiritual
celebration means doing the things while reflecting on the wonderful God who has given us
such wonderful gifts. When we celebrate, we exercise our ability to see and feel goodness in
the simplest gifts of God. We are able to take delight today in something we wouldnt have
even noticed yesterday. God wants to remind you that joy is not something that is reserved
for heaven. Joy is something that is reserved for TODAY for ALL who have been born again
into a living hope.
The first step for pursuing joy is simply to begin now, this day, with all its
shortcomings. The Bible tells, This is the day the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad
in it. (Psalm 118:24) This is the day, the day that Christs death has redeemed.

Sources:
http://www.gotquestions.org/joy-trials.html; http://tbm.org/joy.htm;
http://www.desiringgod.org/articles/quest-for-joy; http://blogs.christianpost.com/better-biblestudy/what-the-bible-says-about-joy-12346/; http://www.crcna.org/; LIFE TO THE MAX,
Ortberg, J.