Philippians 1 -Joy

Is it your passion as a Christian to see others filled with life in Christ? Don’t you yearn to see your lost friends & family discover the good news of Jesus?

I know I do… it breaks my heart when someone I care about struggles with life in general & seems so empty… when they could have so much more, if they’d only let God do the work that He intended, in them.

I went to lunch the other day with a friend who claims to be a Christian, but you can tell by the vacant look in their eyes, that they don’t truly KNOW Christ.

I feel that sometimes I want more for my friends & family than they want for themselves.

How do you explain to someone that doesn’t know Christ, that if they did, it would be like finding that hidden key to unlocking the secret to unlimited happiness, contentment, fulfillment & joy. No matter what the circumstances in your life!? And I’m not talking about just the superficial, ever changing, external happiness you get from earthly things, like people or objects, but deep centered, internal joy, the kind of joy you only experience from knowing Jesus personally.

Now it doesn’t mean to say you won’t have a bad day & life will be peachy… quite the opposite in fact. God puts us through struggles to test our faith, to refine us, & to show Him, by being joyful in a bad situation. We all have them, whether we know Jesus or not- times of indecision, financial burdens, family conflict, job loss etc. It’s how we choose to act in those situations that make a difference.

In Philippians 1, Paul writes a letter to the Christians of Philippi about how he loves them, because they share his joy in knowing Christ. There is something to be said for the love you feel for a fellow Christian. We connect because we share the transforming power of Christ’s love, we understand, appreciate & are grateful for what He did for us. Therefore we show the love to others, that Christ showed to us. (and by US I mean ALL humans... whether you realize it or not, God loves you, you are important to Him.)

We (as Christians) get that about one another, we understand each others motives (to show the love of Jesus) But people that don’t know the Lord, tend to second guess us “why are you doing something nice for me?" "What do you want?” "What are you trying to persuade me of, or recruit me for?" & people get  suspicious or are confused at how we can be joyful in a crappy situation. But… (and there is always a big butt  :) ...)

Happiness is a symptom of my circumstances,

Joy is a product of my perspective – Pastor Steven Furtick

When you know Jesus, your life has purpose & your perspective changes… from:

“poor ME, how does this effect ME, I don’t deserve this”

to:

“WHAT is God trying to teach me in this situation?”

 I know God has a purpose for me & He works all things for good. So look at each situation as an opportunity to be joyful & to find a way to turn a bad situation into a good one.

When Paul wrote that letter expressing his joy, he was in prison!!! But he didn’t sit around feeling sorry for himself. He was still joyful because he was proclaiming the good news of Christ. You can do God’s work anywhere you are! Whether it be in prison, at work, at home, at school, in the store or even at Church.

Look for ways to demonstrate your faith, whether or not the situation improves, your faith will get stronger & you’ll find yourself feeling a deeper sense of joy & contentment inside, no matter what is going on around you.

My joy Is not determined by what happens to me, but what Christ is doing IN me & THROUGH me –Pastor Steven Furtick

Be an encouragement to others by the way you live. It’s not about YOU & the moment you realize that, your perspective changes... then your attitude changes… & then your actions change. It’s as though you see life through a different set of eyes. When you view life, the world & people the way Jesus does, you want to do what Jesus did… love all (yes, even the people you don’t like), serve others whole heartedly & give…generously!

For those that don’t believe in God, life here on earth is all there is… so it’s natural for them to be self focused, strive for money, power, pleasure, popularity, & materialistic things… When you have Jesus, you look to a higher place, beyond yourself & put others first.

When you start to put the focus on Jesus and do for others as He did, it takes the focus off of YOU. God wants to use you to change the world, but he can’t do that when you can’t see past yourself.

"Work OUT the joy that God has worked IN you!" PSF

Do you have difficulty accepting where you are in life? Do you dislike your job? the place you live? The life you ended up with?

Well, God has you here for a reason & it ain’t gonna change so you can either sit around moping, or start to look at it from a different angle!

 What does God want to do through you in this situation? God puts us in a place to JOYFULLY serve others, whether it’s in a prison or a place that feels like one! It will change your life as well as theirs. Who is He asking you to serve joyfully?