Keeping Joy

DEVOTION
GALATIONS
KEEPING JOY
Gal 4:15-16
15 What has happened to all your joy? I can testify that, if you could have done so, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me. 16 Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth?
NIV
I don’t think anything has happened to my joy! I am exceedingly joyful of my salvation. I do make fun from time to time though of some of my fellow believers who walk around as if the weight of the world is on their shoulders, humped over, dragging themselves around with a continence of gloom and doom. I wonder how they actually think of me as I tell them that truth. I wonder if they actually think about it in regards to themselves. Many of my fellow believers surely would give me the shirt off their backs if I was in need, yet I still wonder if by my talking about not having any joy gets them a little sideways toward me. Should I not be truthful with my friends? Should I not tell them they need to let the joy of the Lord shine not only in their words but in their very being? Although I do think there may be times I am not expressing the joy of the lord in the manner I should be. Maybe I am judging to harshly. Maybe something has happened to my joy as well. No, I have joy, but I might just forget about it, when I am at stake. Maybe when I have to do something I may not particularly care to do, I do not show my joy either. That is a mistake! I need to express my joy in all circumstances. I need to allow the joy of the Lord to pour out from my being whenever, whatever and wherever I am engage in doing. I preach it, and I need to remember that. Maybe that selfish streak within mankind, within me hampers the joy. Whenever I start thinking and being concerned about my feelings, my desires, my needs, I think joy gets shoved to the back burner. I also think when I get so wrapped up in trying to live according to all the rules and regulations placed on me by the church; joy gets buried under all that junk. No, I am turning over a new leaf, one again. I will not allow anything to obstruct my joy, not even myself. For the joy of the Lord is my strength. I will keep my joy.