Joy
- Jon Graf
- May 5, 2009
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What are our motivations for doing devotions? It's easy to turn prayer and Bible reading into 'religion' (mans search for God) instead of being rooted in the Gospel (God's work in us and for us). Religion says: "I obey-therefore I'm accepted." The Gospel says: "I'm accepted-therefore I obey." In religion, motivation is based on fear and insecurity. In the Gospel motivation is based on grateful joy. On the other hand it's easy to forget about devotional practices altogether. We must steer clear from both religious legalism and irreligious apathy, and live lives transformed by the Gospel immersed in a relationship through Word and prayer.
Theme: Joy
The ideals which have always shone before me and filled me with the joy of living are goodness, beauty, and truth. To make a goal of comfort or happiness has never appealed to me; a system of ethics built on this basis would be sufficient only for a herd of cattle. - Albert Einstein
Einstein got it partly right-to make comfort or happiness your final goal is sufficient only for a herd of cattle. But he didn't go far enough. The ideals of truth, goodness, and beauty sound great in theory, but they're so distant and abstract. When it comes down to it we don't want just a glimpse or 'inkling' of truth, goodness, and beauty... we want to be joined with it. We're not that good, the world isn't always that beautiful, and truth is sometimes hard to figure out. True joy of living can only ultimately be found in Jesus who bridges the gap for us between the way things ought to be and the way things are. In Jesus, goodness, beauty, and truth have a name, and by his grace we have been adopted into that name.
"Joy is found in living lives of Unity around the Gospel."
Reading: Matthew 6:25-34
We live in an age of worry and fear. Terrorist threats. Flu epidemics. Economic troubles. It's hard not to worry when we see so many bad things happening. But Jesus invites us to live without worry and without anxiety amidst all our troubles. He promises to provide and take care of us through trials. Do we believe him? Here we might pray with the man in Mark 9:24: "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!"
Reading: Philippians 4:4-9
When we hear the word 'rejoice' we think of a feeling that wells up inside producing joy. But in Paul's day the word also meant a public celebration. The Gospel gives us reason to rejoice together in unity with lives full of joy (v. 4). Paul goes on to say that the church should also be a gentle and gracious community which is sensitive to outsiders (v. 5). N. T. Wright says: "The three main things that will come into line if the celebration is both joyful and gentle are the prayer which overcomes anxiety (v. 6-7); the patterns of thought which celebrate God's goodness throughout creation (v. 8); and the style of life which embodies the gospel (v. 9)."
Reading: Psalm 46
Pray this Psalm of celebration slowly, word by word, with times of silence between lines to simply sit and listen. Let it sink in and be the theme of your week.
Passage to Memorize: Psalm 46:1-2a
1God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
2Therefore we will not fear.