Strength for the Journey: Joy

There is no better time for God’s admonition to be apt other than now that the second leg of the journey towards the end of the year has just begun.
The admonition of God to us all the time always seem out of this world, or rather opposite to the way the world is expected to operate. James 1: 2 says “count it all joy when you fall into diverse temptations and trials’’. You would think what God is saying we should count all joy things that are palatable and interesting. Or that contracts are awarded and money fully paid in advance for projects yet to be executed that is why He told us to rejoice. Usually it is when we are bombarded with good things like that, that our mouth is full of praise and our hearts filled with joy. So why on earth would God tell us to count it all joy?

The reason is not far-fetched, thisis because the kingdom of God and its modus operandi is different from the modus operandi of the kingdom of this world. For example, scripture says “if we believe we would see the Glory of God”.The system of this world says except we see we cannot believe – ‘’seeing is believing’’. The word of God also says “give and it shall be given unto you…” The system of this world says keep and you shall have more. The earlier we realise that the kingdom where we operate from as believers is different from the kingdom where we live (earth), the better it is for us. This is all that God seek to make us understand by telling us that we should seek first His kingdom and its modus operandi, and that all other things that everybody is running after shall be added unto us (paraphrased).

Once we come to this understanding, the admonition of God to us and what He says to us makes sense. Every blessing that God has for every of His children are embedded in His WORD. He says that it is not the hearer of the word alone that is blessed but the doer. Except we get to the point of doing what is SAID, we would never experience the supernatural demonstration of His power and might in our lives. We must not for once think that God does not know what He is saying or why He said what He said. He is well aware and acquainted with the challenges, problems that characterize part of living in this world. He forewarned us, he said in this world we would face tribulations but we should be of good cheers…).  Here God comes again saying the same thing asking us to rejoice in the face of adversities, though it sounds foolish but the foolishness of God is wiser than all men’s understanding (1 Cor. 1:25).

As business people, it is certain that curve balls would be thrown our way at some time or all the time. And the weapon God has given to us to always stay afloat when we are face to face with unpleasant challenges is the weapon of JOY. This is our STAYING power! There is no other way to remain victorious other than by this truth. For all the curve balls that are thrown our ways by outside forces or the ones that we willingly created through our errors, one thing they have in common is to steal that precious gift inside of you, your JOY. If the devil cannot steal your joy he cannot steal your goods. Our strength lies in our joy, for that is where God inhabits. (Nehemiah 8: 10)… For the joy of the Lord is our strength.

So how do we maintain this joy?
1. For you as a born again child of God, joy is inherent in you. He that believeth in Him, out of him shall flow rivers of living waters (John 7:38). Because joy and God are inseparable, you and God must be inseparable otherwise you lose out. Your life as a Christian is intertwined with God’s life, there is no dissociation or disconnect. For this to be, there must always be constant koinonia (fellowship) with God through the agency of His word and prayer.

2. There must be deliberate attempt to create the atmosphere that makes for joy. Every time we are tempted to give in to depression and despondency by reason of happenings around us. We must put up stiff resistance using the name of Jesus.

3. We must guard our hearts against every thought of fear, intimidation and condemnation. These have come to assault our minds in other to relieve us of our joy. At the sight of such negative, foreboding feelings, we must put up serious resistance using the name of JESUS.

The people that are victorious in life are not people that do not have challenges or confronted with deadly attacks, they are people that have mastered the art of putting up a fight in order to maintain what is theirs by right. This is their strength for the journey. They know it, they work it and they have great result.
This is part of what God would have you do- rejoice so as to remain victorious in the affairs of life. Remain blessed as you bask in the joy of the Lord that is resident inside of you.

Debo Atiba