Joy for Every Day

Colorado Springs, Colorado

We've reached the Fourth Sunday in Advent. Last Sunday many of our churches lit a pink candle on the Advent Wreath today, a sign that something is different.

"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice." Philippians 4:4 English Standard Version

The English doesn't do justice to the force of the Greek Paul used in writing to the Philippians. His language is uber emphatic. All he had to say was "rejoice in the Lord." He doesn't have to add "always" nor did he have to write "again, I will say Rejoice." The command to "rejoice in the Lord" itself is a command to make rejoicing a daily habit. However Paul doesn't want us to forget this fact.

Here's something you need to know about the Greek word "joy." It's related to the same Greek root as that of "grace." Joy and grace are gifts from God. Joy is rooted in grace, not in the circumstances of life.

Charlie Brown struggles to get it right. Every pitch he throws is hit back up the middle and rips his clothes off. He picks the scrawniest Christmas tree because he feels sorry for it. He reflects many of our efforts to get things right.

Joy transcends our failures and our attempts to get things right because it is connected to God's grace in the gift of the Christ child for us.

Joy is an everyday event and as such we heed Paul's exhortation to "Rejoice in the Lord always" even when there seems to be no logical reason to rejoice.

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You can listen to the Praying With the Eyes broadcast at the ib network on Sundays at 8:00 am, 11:30 am, 1:00 pm and 8:30 pm MST (www.ibnetwork.us). You can also listen to the show on the ib network on Tunin Radio.  

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Text and Photographs ©Copyright 2012-2014 Douglas P. Brauner.  ARR.