If we’d be honest, most of us are
concerned about being happy ourselves.
This is not uncommon, even though we know there is a better, more
Christ-like way. Paul had a flesh just
like we do, and yet, as he wrote to the Corinthian church, to those in whom he had
a personal investment, his aim was to try to make them joyful.
As he is used of God to write:
II Corinthians 1:24 “Not for that we have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your
joy: for by faith ye stand.”
To me this is an amazing statement;
and some of us might read this and think: “nobody lives this way.”
However, this is inspired scripture;
and we know that not only Paul lived this way, but the Lord Jesus did also.
Matthew 20:28 “Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister,
and to give his life a ransom for many.”
For Paul to write that he was a
helper of their joy; he was saying: I am a companion in work. I work beside you
and with you to the end that you would have joy. If we make this our life’s
work and goal, we can be joyful when we decide we want to work hard to help our
brother or sister in Christ to have joy.
So we can be joyful every day,
regardless of our own circumstances, or what one preacher called: happenness. Because our joy is not dependent on how
others treat us, or how positive we qualify our circumstances; but our joy is
based upon making others happy or joyful.
Certainly this is not going to happen
without a lot of thought and meditation and prayer; nor will it happen without
our deciding and determining, that this is a better way to live, than to live
to make myself happy.
Some other scripture along these
lines:
Philippians 2:3-5 “Let
nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each
esteem other better than themselves.
Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things
of others. Let this mind be in you,
which was also in Christ Jesus:”
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