 Hunting Joy
Hunting joy is difficult because there are many circumstances that can make it disappear even when we have it in our grasp. A peaceful cup of tea is disrupted by a phone call; a nice meal spoiled by an argument; a great job ruined by a demanding or unfair boss. Dare I say that young people today lack in their hunting ability? Joy must come to them; if something isn’t entertaining, if it takes effort then it is labeled “boring”. Older people are obsessed with hunting joy. They spend enormous effort, time and money with very little success. And perhaps that explains why young people aren’t enthusiastically following our example.
Is there hope for us who would like to experience more joy? I plan to devote a sermon series to help us become experts in joy. One principle is that joy can be learned. Another is learning to disconnect joy from our circumstances, to experience joy even in difficult times. When Jesus was preparing his disciples for his crucifixion he said “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.” (John 15:11) Let me get very specific and practical. The other day I was thinking about my wife and kids. If any of them was in danger, if they got sick, if they were going to die would there be anything I wouldn’t do to save them and to help them? So why don’t I tell them that I love them more often? Why don’t I sacrifice some of my time to kick a ball with them, to listen to them? Why do I allow my obsession with joy rob theirs? You will be far more successful giving joy than you are in hunting joy. To access my current sermon series go to: www.godsgap.net/goodnews the Rev (Chris Perona) email:
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
|
