Where is joy?

One of the greatest sources of stress and discomfort in your life will lie in the difference between what you want for your life and what God wants for your life.

One of the greatest sources of joy and peace you will ever experience lies in surrendering what you want for yourself and accepting God’s plan for you. This plan for you is unique, made for you and you alone. No one else can embody this existence; no one else can walk in your shoes, for you and you alone most traverse the paths charted for you long before you were born into this world.

If you do not live the life he has made for you to live, that life will go unlived. You might be wealthy by earthly standards, more comfortable in this world, you may get many of the things you want, but one of the scariest things to ever contemplate is God saying to you “Fine, have it your way”.

“There is a way that seems right unto a man, but that way leads to destruction” Proverbs 14:12.

Take a look at what you are reading (And think about all that you have ever read from me). This is not what I sought. This is not what I wanted.

A few weeks ago I began to realize that October 31st will mark 1 year since I posted the first Christian Perspective article on this blog. As the days and weeks draw me closer to this anniversary of sorts, I am amazed at all that God has done in my life and in the lives of many with Christian Perspective.

And so as I reflect and take stock of all of this, it would be easy-perhaps not to explicitly express, but to subtly insinuate that this was what I wanted all along. But that would be one more foolish thing to add to a litany of foolish things I have done my life. In fact, it would be absolutely ridiculous to intimate that I somehow discovered a passion for writing, wrote many worldly things including books, short stories, articles, poetry, but then all of a sudden simply remembered God and started writing for him to the exclusion of all else. Equally unwise would be to say that I know where all of this will end up.

No, never will the Children of God suffer delusion to rule.

Truth to the reader: I did not seek the Christian Perspective. When I started writing it I was as much in need of a “Christian Perspective” as anyone I was writing to. I stubbornly refused to write it, procrastinated on the basis of many things, not the least of which was my own inadequacies, and even the opinion of men.

“For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God” John Chapter 12 verse 43

It is only by Gods grace that I was able to rise up from bed that blessed night and write to the glory of his name. Since that day, he has slowly conquered many aspects of my life that belonged to the enemy, and has consumed me with his love and I have seen his blessings.

“For our God is a consuming fire” Hebrews 12:19

I see now clearly that there is nothing worth more than living the life God has called you to live, doing the works he has called you to do.
Many have read this blog since its inception, many of you my friends joined along the way, and it has been a privilege and a blessing writing these things to you. And no matter how much I write, there is always so much to say. And tonight it is my sincere desire to impart to you that message that we must continue to surrender our lives to God, even when we want to have it our way.


Behold, i stand at the door and knock.

As I prayed last night, there was a passage from the book of revelation that came into my mind. Revelation 3:20: Behold I stand at the door and knock, if any man hear my voice and open the door, I will sup with him, and he with me.

As I thought about this passage, I began to realize the politeness of Jesus. He can break down the door to any heart and barge in, but he would much rather knock and let us open. He would much rather we surrender ourselves to him, than break us down, or worse yet say to us “Fine, have it your way”.

Truth to the reader: There is no Joy in many things you want. This is bound to make many uncomfortable. Think about things you want, and think about how happy getting it will make you. Now think about the fact that there is no joy in it.

My brothers and sisters, where is Joy? Does it lie in granted wishes? Can it be located amidst fulfilled desires?

Looking at life on the surface, it would seem that in order to achieve a state of joyous living, one need only achieve all of the things they want in life. “If I get all that I want, if I achieve all of my hopes and dreams, I would have lived a life filled with joy”. The person who thinks this is confusing joy with happiness. Happiness is momentary and fleeting, true Joy is constant and lasting. True Joy is impervious to disappointment and independent of sorrow.

Many will summarize life as a journey from one want to another. For example, I want to go college so I go to college. I graduate and want a good job so I get a good job. I want to get married and have children and I do. I want my children to go to the best schools, and on and on it goes.

The fulfillment of one want and need only leads to the emergence of multiple one’s. One might even chart their happiness based upon the percentage of wanted things that are gotten, and the amount of the needs that are fulfilled.

God has made me see that Joy does not come from getting what we want; actually it is a bit of the opposite. The journey to a life filled with Joy is in depriving one’s self of the things that one wants.

Fasting is a perfect example of this: When a person fasts they deprive themselves of something material (In many cases Food and/or water) as a supplication unto God, and God rewards them with his presence.

The most satisfying part of the fast is not when you finally break it with food, but when you feel the spirit of the lord come down upon you.

Alas, the bible has told us where to find joy: In the presence of God there is fullness of Joy. Psalm 16:11

When we face difficult circumstances and things don't seem to go the way we want them to, it is always important to remember that if we are living our lives as God intends us to, then our suffering is not in vain. The things we want that we have not gotten have no implications upon our joy and happiness for we are convinced, that each answer delayed is delayed unto grace, each breakthrough not received is to the glory of God. This is easier said than done; easier thought than embodied, but God will give you the grace. He controls your life and your destiny. And his name is forever glorified.


Napoleon Bonaparte.

I will leave you with a quote that I found. It is a quote by Napoleon Bonaparte. This former emperor of France waged war and conquered much of Europe, only to see it all collapse as he was hauled off to Prison. These were his words:

“I die before my time and my flesh is devoured by worms. What an abysmal gulf between myself and the eternal kingdom of Christ. I marvel that whereas the ambitious dreams of myself, and of Caesar, and of Alexander should have vanished into thin air, a Judean peasant, Jesus, should reach across the centuries and control the destinies of men, and nations”.

Brothers and Sisters, many have tried to do it their way. Napoleon did, Julius Caesar tried to do it his way, Alexander tried to do it his way…but all these kings and conquerors found sickness, murder, imprisonment and utlimately death, at the end of their endeavours. Even more telling, all of their lifes pursuit did not survive them a single day.

Even Frank Sinatra wrote a song titled “I did it my way”. But it is Jesus who controls our lives and destinies, doing it his way is the only way to do it.

You know, i write this at a wonderful time in my life. A time when God is bringing me full circle as i marvel at all that he did for me, many of which were not exactly the way i would have scripted it. But he had good plans for my life, and did not need my input in the scripting of this marvelous future that i am priviledged to live.

Let our song be “I did it God’s way”. To this Jesus be all the glory, now and forevermore. Amen.



SPIRIT OF SERVICE

What is the fast if you are not hungry?
What is the waiting if there is no need?
What is the praise if you are not thankful?
At a time such as this when you are covered with blessings…

The spirit is willing but the body is weak
When your heart is anxious but your tongue will not speak
When the fulfillment of God’s promise made unto you
Stretches you out as your spirit is tested

But how do you feel when you surely recall
That in the presence of God there is fullness of Joy?
That the measure of love is the time that you give
Though the time that you give you will never get back
At the times you are needed you give all that you have

May these be your answers to all the above:
That in the presence of God there is fullness of Joy
And when all has been said you are loving your God