Two weeks ago, our second son was born. We named him Stephen Lucas. Jodi and I are delighted, obviously. Even our relatives, friends and our church family rejoiced with us. There is indeed great joy when a new life was born, when a new member of the family arrived. We are glad because Stephen is God’s gift to us. And with this gift from God, you also celebrate with us.
We celebrate because we recognize that God is the giver of joy. But one of our more common problems is that we are often contented with “lesser joys” while God has reserved a “greater joy” for us. Yes, having a baby is a “joy”, but it is also a “lesser joy” compared to the “greater joy” we have in Jesus.
Realizing this truth is very important for several reasons. If you are a student, your joy does not come from you having graduated from school – even with high honors. If you are a father, your joy does not come from a salary increase. If you are a mother, your joy does not come from being freed from household roles to chase your own ambition.
We often measure our joy by the things we have. The problem comes when you don’t have enough money or when you can’t have a child. Yes, this kind of situations brings sadness. But if you know what or who your greater joy is, you may not have a lot of money or you may have been raised in a broken family, true joy is still guaranteed for you. And when you have enough money and your family is happy, the more you will enjoy the blessings you received from God.
To understand where this truth came from, I encourage you to listen, read, or download Part 2 of the sermon series The Story of Jesus. I also urge you to share this message to your friends.
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Related articles
- Part 1: Promise Fulfilled (pastorderick.com)
Treasuring Christ PH 