Joy

An Old Fuddy-Duddy…

/ pastorlynnmalone / Leave a comment

Well, I took a week off from preaching (and writing) after Easter. I suppose everyone needs a day off, right? Actually, the Sunday after Easter is known (at least to Senior Pastors) as National Associate Pastors Sunday! It’s the Sunday when, if you’re an associate Pastor, you finally get to preach. Everyone knows that Senior Pastors always take the Sunday after Easter off.

I am no longer a Senior Pastor…just a regular old pastor, but I still took the Sunday off, not for any other reason than I received an invitation to go with my son and two of my grandsons (and a few others) to the LSU vs. Tennessee baseball series in Baton Rouge. I figured, “Why not?” I am grateful for the invitation and grateful for the time away with my son and grandsons (we did a few other fun things besides go to the ball games). But, man! Did I learn something on this trip!

I learned (again) that I’m old! The older I get, the more of a fuddy-duddy I become. I don’t want to be a fuddy-duddy. I wake up most days and say to myself, “Self, don’t be a fuddy-duddy today,” but invariably, the devil gets up in my business, and before I know it, the fuddy-duddy in me rears his ugly head and there I am having to repent for being a fuddy-duddy.

This old fuddy-duddy learned that he doesn’t like crowds much anymore. The LSU-Tennessee 3-game series was the largest attendance series in Alex Box Stadium history, and the Saturday evening game was the largest single-game attendance in stadium history. Three days of large crowds absolutely wore me out! Three days of large crowds was just a bit too much for me. And, Friday night it rained. Everyone huddled under the bleachers to get out of the rain. It was easy to tell who hadn’t showered that morning!

I kept telling myself, “Hush, you old fuddy-duddy! You’re with your son and grandsons. Just enjoy the moment.” For the most part, I (well, me and the Holy Spirit) kept the old fuddy-duddy at bay, but I tell you, those large crowds like to got the best of me.

This old fuddy-duddy also learned that he likes his bedtime. Most nights, you will find me in bed by 8:30 p.m. Not last weekend! Friday night’s game didn’t even begin until 9:55 p.m. (due to the rain delay). I’m sorry, but I didn’t make it. I left before the game even started (I know–fuddy-duddy, right?) and still didn’t get to bed until after 11 p.m. Can you say, “Worn out?” Well, I was.

Saturday’s game started at 7:00 p.m., and I made it until the bitter end (bitter because LSU lost). That only means it was after midnight before I got back to my hotel room and made it to bed. Midnight? Really? That’s only three hours away from my normal getting up time! What was I thinking? I was thinking, “Shut up you old fuddy-duddy. You’re with your son and grandsons. Enjoy the moment.” For the most part, the Holy Spirit and I kept the old fuddy-duddy at bay, but I tell you, those late nights almost killed me.

I don’t know why I’m telling you all this. I should just be keeping all this stuff to myself, continuing to repress the old fuddy-duddy in me. I suppose it’s just my way of revealing that the Lord’s sanctifying grace has still got some work to do in this old pastor. I’m grateful that He’s still graceful enough to continue his work, and that He is still in the transformation business.

I am reminded that He is still in the transformation business because I’ve been reflecting on John 2: 1 – 11:

2 On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there,2 and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3 When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.”

4 “Woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My hour has not yet come.”

5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”

6 Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing,each holding from twenty to thirty gallons.

7 Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim.

8 Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.”

They did so, 9 and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside 10 and said, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.”

11 What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.

It is Jesus’ first miracle, and He turns water into wine. It was John’s way of saying Jesus comes to transform the old covenant of the law into a new covenant of grace. There is a whole lot more to unpack than that simple statement, but that’s the crux of John’s inclusion of the event in his gospel. Hey? If Jesus can do that, there’s no limit to what He can do in you and me.

Jesus is in the transformation business. We think transformation comes from a new hairdo or wardrobe. Get a better job or learn a new skill. Lose weight or get a face lift. Jesus doesn’t want to change our looks, he wants to change our heart. He doesn’t want to give us a new suit; he wants to make us a new person. He doesn’t want to rearrange us; he wants to transform us. We want to look better on the outside. He wants to make us new on the inside.

That transformation will show on the outside. When Jesus changed the water into wine, he did not just change the color and fool the people’s taste buds — he actually changed the water into wine. When the water was turned to wine, the shame of the bridal family was turned to joy. The mood of the party was transformed. And Jesus’ disciples were transformed, too. Verse 11 says, “This miraculous sign…was Jesus first display of his glory. And his disciples believed in him.”

My prayer is that He transforms this old fuddy-duddy…that the work He desires to do on the inside of me will make its way to the outside, so everyone else doesn’t see that I’m just an old fuddy-duddy. I really do want my son and grandsons to know how much I enjoyed our time together, and how grateful I am for the opportunity provided by someone else’s generosity.

Oh, well, it’s time to get ready for worship.

Until next time, keep looking up…

My Advent Prayer for You…

/ pastorlynnmalone / Leave a comment

Welcome to another Advent season. As this season begins, I’m reflecting on the rich passage from the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Philippians—Philippians 1:3-11. It is a prayer of thanksgiving and intercession that reveals the deep affection and partnership Paul shares with the Philippian church.

It is a beautiful expression of gratitude for the work God is doing in the lives of believers and a prayer for their continued growth in faith. I make it my prayer for you and me in this Advent season.

A Prayer for Joy

Paul opens his prayer by expressing his heartfelt gratitude to God for the Philippians:  

“I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.” v. 3-5

Notice the first thing that Paul mentions is joy. Even though Paul is writing this letter from prison, surrounded by hardship and uncertainty, he speaks with joy. His joy does not come from his circumstances but from the deep sense of connection he feels with the Philippians in their shared mission—the gospel partnership.

The word “partnership” in verse 5 comes from the Greek word *koinonia*, which means fellowship or sharing. This word suggests a deep and mutual participation in something greater than themselves, something that binds the hearts of the Philippians and Paul together. It is not merely a partnership in temporal matters but in the eternal work of the gospel. Their shared commitment to the gospel—through supporting Paul’s ministry, sharing the message, and living out their faith—has brought them into a deep fellowship with one another and with God.

As we reflect on this, we should ask ourselves: What brings us joy in our Christian lives? Is it our circumstances, our achievements, or our comfort? Or is it the joy of partnering together in the gospel, sharing in the mission of Christ to proclaim salvation to the world? True joy in the Christian life is found in knowing we are participating in something eternal, something that transcends our struggles and challenges.

In the body of Christ, we are not lone wolves; we are partners in the gospel, united by the love of Christ and the call to advance His Kingdom. This partnership transcends time and space. We are not just united with those around us but with Christians throughout history and across the world.

My prayer is we will take joy in this shared mission.

A Prayer for Assurance

Paul goes on to express his confidence in the work God is doing in the lives of the Philippians:  

“Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” v. 6

Note Paul’s confidence, not in the Philippians’ ability to carry out the work, but in God’s faithfulness. He is convinced that the work God started in them, the work of salvation and sanctification, will continue until it is completed on the day of Christ Jesus. What a powerful statement of assurance that should comfort all of us who follow Jesus.

When we come to faith in Christ, we are not left to fend for ourselves. God is the one who begins the work, and He is the one who brings it to completion. This is the essence of what we Wesleyans call sanctification—that those who are saved will be kept by God’s power and will grow in holiness until we are fully conformed to the image of Christ at His return.

In our lives, this truth is especially comforting when we face doubts, setbacks, or periods of spiritual dryness. We may wonder if we will ever change or if we will ever see victory over sin. But Paul reminds us that God is at work in us, even when we cannot see it. The process of sanctification—the ongoing work of becoming more like Christ—is a long one, but it is God’s work, and He is faithful to complete it.

This should lead us to a place of both humility and hope. We cannot boast in our progress or accomplishments, for it is God who works in us. But neither should we despair, for God is faithful to finish what He started.

A Prayer for Maturity

Paul ends his prayer for the Philippians’ growth in spiritual maturity:  

“And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.” v. 9-11

Paul prays not merely that they would endure, but that they would grow. His desire for them is not just for outward success or for temporary relief, but for a profound transformation of their hearts and lives. So, what is it that needs transforming?

A Transformation of Love

Paul prays for their love to “abound more and more.”

The foundation of Christian maturity is love—love for God and love for one another. This love is not naïve or sentimental. He prays that their love may abound “in knowledge and depth of insight.”

Our love is to be informed by truth, guided by wisdom, and rooted in an understanding of God’s Word and God’s will. It is not shallow, emotion-driven love but a love that seeks the highest good of others, motivated by the gospel.

A Transformation of Discernment

Paul prays that they may be able to “discern what is best.”

Discernment is crucial for living as faithful followers of Jesus Christ. It is not enough to simply know what is good or acceptable; Disciples are called to know what is best—to seek God’s will in all things and make choices that honor Him. This requires wisdom, prayer, and a deep knowledge of God’s Word.

A Transformation of Purity

Paul also prays that they would be “pure and blameless for the day of Christ.”

It is a prayer for holiness in our lives. We are called to live lives that are set apart for God’s glory, reflecting His character to the world. Purity and blamelessness do not mean perfection in this life, but a continual striving toward righteousness and a heart that is surrendered to Christ.

It’s just another way of saying we must continue to grow in grace–that whole idea of sanctification, again. It really was important to Paul. It should be equally important to us!

A Transformation of Fruitfulness

Finally, Paul prays that they would be “filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ.”

The fruit of righteousness refers to the evidence of a transformed life–love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, kindness, goodness, faithfulness and self-control (otherwise known as the fruit of the Spirit–see Galatian 5:22-23).

These acts of righteousness are not the result of our own efforts but come through Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit, who works in us to produce good works that glorify God.

All of these elements—love, discernment, purity, and fruitfulness—are intertwined. A growing love for God and others leads to greater discernment, which in turn leads to a life marked by purity and good works. And the end result of all this is the glory and praise of God.

Happy Advent

As I reflect on Philippians 1:3-11, I am reminded of the deep joy and privilege I have in being partners with each of you in the gospel. This is a divine calling that unites us with one another and with God’s eternal purposes. We are confident that the work God has begun in us will be completed, and we can be assured that He is faithful to bring us to spiritual maturity.

I pray that your love may abound more and more, that you may have discernment to know what is best, that you may live pure and blameless lives, and that you may bear the fruit of righteousness for the glory of God–and that even more as we see the day of His return approaching (which is really what the Advent season is all about).

Will you also pray these same things for me?

Until next time, keep looking up…

Honoring Mothers: Faithful Women Who Shape Our Lives

/ pastorlynnmalone / 1 Comment

Happy Mother’s Day! Let me take a few lines on this special day to say “Thank you!” to the mothers in my life, and to all mothers everywhere. None of us (and I mean literally none of us) would be who we are without our mothers (for better or worse).

I say “for better or worse,” because I know not everyone has been blessed with incredible examples of motherhood in their lives, and that is truly unfortunate. I, on the other hand, have been blessed beyond measure with those mothers who are shining examples of what it means to be a mother.

Great is Thy Faithfulness

I tell folks that I was raised at the foot of a Methodist piano. My mother, Sonda Womack, played piano for three Methodist churches in our home area. She rode the circuit just like the circuit rider preacher every Sunday so that those congregations had the benefit of music in worship. Most Sundays, my brothers and I had to make that circuit with her, and there we would sit, often listening to the same sermon three times (talk about insufferable!) just for the opportunity to make it to the “big” church so we could be with all our friends.

I didn’t necessarily enjoy all that time at the foot of a Methodist piano, but her faithfulness in serving the Lord by serving those congregations gave me an early example of what discipleship and servanthood looks like. Being an accompanist for all those years was ministry for her. I know that because she was never paid a salary by any of those churches. Yes, there were frequent love offerings the congregations shared, but she never “charged” for her services. It was a gift of love to the Lord.

Her faithfulness shaped me and my brothers. Of that, I have no doubt. She was, for much of our early years, a single mom. She worked long, hard hours to insure that we had what we needed…not always what we wanted…but always what we needed. I can remember her working three jobs when we were little. She worked at the local bank. She would leave that job and head to the local post office where she was a part-time flexible worker. And, if you think playing piano at three churches on Sunday morning isn’t work (whether you’re paid or not), well you’ve got another think coming.

Even now, into her 80’s, she continues to serve two congregations through her gift of music. Still riding the circuit after all these years!

She was, and is, an example of faith and faithfulness and love for which I am forever grateful. Happy Mother’s Day, Mom!

The Heart of Our Family

Let me tell you something else. When I married, I married up. I mean I married way up! My wife, Vanessa, is the most amazing mother I know (my own mother notwithstanding). Vanessa has throughout our lives together demonstrated the sacrificial love of Jesus in the most profound of ways. I honestly believe that she was born to be a mother…and grandmother.

I have spent the last forty years watching her nurture our children and grandchildren. I can tell you that she raised our children while I was off going to school and pastoring churches and chasing dreams. Anything good our children have attained or become can be credited to her love and diligence in caring for them.

Raising our children was never a sacrifice for her. It was her gift. She was, for many years, the nurturer, the care-giver, the chauffeur, the cook, the cleaner, the confidant, the disciplinarian, the encourager, the helper and the friend to all four of our children, and she has quickly become that to our grandchildren, too. I might also add, she is all those things to me as a spouse. She is my best friend, and I’m not so sure our children wouldn’t also call her their best friend, either.

She is amazing and beautiful and funny and sacrificial and loving. Try as I might, there really aren’t words to describe what she is to me and to our family. She is the heart and soul of who we are as a family. Happy Mother’s Day, Vanessa!

An Enduring Legacy of Love

The examples of love and sacrifice goes back beyond our present generation. My grandmothers…well…what can I say about them?

My maternal grandmother, Aline Johnson Roberts, demonstrated for me how to serve your spouse. My Papaw lived with rheumatoid arthritis for as long as I have any memory of him. He was bedridden for most of later years of life. Mamaw never left his side.

Everyday, she busied herself waiting on him hand and foot. I never once heard her complain (and mind you, my brothers and I lived with them for several years) about his illness, or the necessity of her caring for him. She did it out of love. She did it out of compassion. And, that was after raising ten children and dealing with 18 (I think) grandchildren (nine of which either lived with them or next door to them).

She remains an example of self-giving love that demonstrates the heart of motherhood. Happy heavenly Mother’s Day, Mamaw!

My paternal grandmother, Kittie Oxford Malone, is a saint if there ever was one. We called her “Mama Kit.” Mama Kit earned her sainthood by putting up with my grandfather, my dad and my uncle. Don’t misunderstand me. I love all three of those men dearly, but they could be…oh, let’s just say…challenging to live with (that’s all I’ll say about that!).

When Vanessa and I married, we moved into her backyard. There we started raising our family. She was there when all our children were born. She was the go-to babysitter for our children. Every afternoon when the kids would arrive home from school, their first stop was usually her house. She generally had cheese toast or cinnamon toast prepared for them when they arrived.

She would spend countless hours reading to our oldest daughter and as she would read she would gently rub our daughter’s back. Our oldest daughter is her namesake, and I honestly think she still misses those back rubs today.

We discovered when ministry called us to Kentucky for seminary, that the worst part was not having Mama Kit to care for us from our backyard. Yes, we missed all our family, but not in the same way we missed Mama Kit. I only wish my grandchildren would have had the opportunity to know Mama Kit.

Mama Kit gave me an example of perseverance in the face of adversity, of commitment to life-long marriage and of selfless love. I am blessed to have her as part of the legacy of faithful motherhood in my live. Happy heavenly Mother’s Day, Mama Kit.

Thank You Mothers!

There are so many more memories and reflections I could share, but this is a long post already. Thank you for indulging me in this overly personal blog. And, thank you to all the mothers that we celebrate on this Mother’s Day.

If your mother is still with you, give thanks to God for her and make sure she knows how much you appreciate her. If your mother is no longer alive, then simply give thanks to God for the memories of love and faithfulness you have.

If you have no good memories of your own mother, can you at least be grateful to God that she gave you life? That is a gift unto itself and you should be grateful.

So, Happy Mother’s Day to all our mothers and grandmothers. May God bless you all on this special day.

Until next time, keep looking up…

Learning to Walk Again…

/ pastorlynnmalone / Leave a comment

Well, the challenging Lenten season continues. It’s strange really because I didn’t enter the Lenten season very seriously. For the first time in over 20 years I didn’t attend an Ash Wednesday service. If I’m totally honest I’d tell you that if it weren’t for Facebook I might have forgotten it was Ash Wednesday.

Logging on to Facebook I couldn’t help but know it was Ash Wednesday. I saw so many people posting pictures of themselves with ashes on their foreheads. Nothing like social media to feed our narcissistic tendencies…even when it comes to our sin, right? No indictment intended, but I just find it ironic that we feel compelled to show the world our piety by posting selfies of ourselves being pious. But, I digress…

Anyway, I didn’t take Lent seriously, but the Holy Spirit has challenged me all season long. He has challenged me concerning my love for Jesus (click here), and thereby, my love for others. I’ll confess that I can’t grasp the love of God that loves a Venezuelan migrant murderer as much as a Georgia nursing student (see here). I’ll confess that I don’t know that I want to grasp it, and that scares the hell out of me!

What I do know is that I would fight tooth and nail if someone (anyone) hurt one of my daughters. One of us would die. I don’t know that I could forgive that. With time and the grace of God, maybe. Yet, forgiveness is what the Lord asks of us, and that’s an awfully big ask. The Holy Spirit and I have been talking about it. We’ve not settled the issue yet, but this is still Lent. Easter is coming…it can’t come soon enough.

Not only has He challenged me on my love for Him, but He’s also challenged the nature of my surrender. I know that I have, too often, chosen my own way in service to Him rather than being attentive to where He was actually calling me. I may even be living that circumstance today. Part of my prayer each day is “show me Your will so that I might walk in Your way.” I think what I really mean is “show me Your will and I’ll choose whether to walk in Your way.”

The question He challenges me with is, “Are you surrendered?” I like to believe I am, but Him even asking the question causes me to wonder. True enough, He has been oh, so very gracious to me regardless. I can’t even imagine why I’ve been so blessed. How or why does He bless when I can’t answer a simple question, or know that I am surrendered to His will? ‘Tis mystery, indeed!

The Holy Spirit has also challenged me concerning the nature of joy. That’s right…joy. How so? Well, the Apostle Paul tells the Roman church, in essence, that joy comes through tribulation (see Romans 8: 31-39). I like to think I’m joyful, but the Holy Spirit has me wondering. I know that I “enjoy” life, but enjoying something doesn’t necessarily mean I am living joyfully. I know I’m grateful…grateful for all His blessings. I know I’m humbled…humbled by His grace.

Do I not know the depths of true joy because I’ve not endured the hardships of tribulation? Dare I pray for tribulation so that I might find out? Yeah, I’m probably not going to do that, and the fact that I’m unwilling to pray such a prayer causes me no little amount of heartburn. Darn this Lenten season!

I suppose the challenge of this Lent has me questioning my commitment to Jesus Christ and His Kingdom. It comes down to a question Jesus asked his disciples in John 6:

66 From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.

67 “You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve.

John 6:66-67 (NIV)

“You do not want to leave, too, do you?” I feel like in one sense that I have, in fact, gone away…I’ve turned back…I’ve fallen down. Abandoning full-time ministry feels almost like an abandonment of Jesus. It feels like I “turned back.” For me, I think it was a matter of ministry was “working for Jesus,” without “walking with Jesus.” There is a difference, you know?

I spent so many years working for Jesus that I quit walking with Him. Perhaps that is the thing that burned me out. I guess He’s just using this Lenten season to teach me to walk with Him again, since I’m not “working” for Him during this time. I am learning to walk again.

Let me say that if a person has a choice of working for Jesus or walking with Jesus, chose walking with Jesus every time. Intimacy with Jesus can easily get lost when we are working for Him. Walking with Him promotes the intimacy we need to actually do the work for Him…and I mean the work that He wants and needs us to do, not the work we want and think He wants us to do. The differences are oh, so subtle, but they are oh, so real.

And to think, I was going to let this Lenten season pass unnoticed. Perhaps all these challenges are my punishment for not giving something up for Lent.

Until next time, keep looking up…

“Joy” to the World…

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You can’t have Christmas without lights AND you can’t have Christmas without music. The two go together, as Forrest Gump would say, “Like peas and carrots.” Some homeowners these days are even investing in the electronics necessary to make the lights on their homes dance to the music of the season (Clark Griswold would be so jealous).

Songs of the Season

The songs of the season (at least the religious ones) share a common theme. We sing “Joy to the World, the Lord has come, let earth receive her King.” The words of Psalm 96 and its companion Psalm 98 are reflected in Isaac Watts masterful creation that remains the most published Christian hymn in North America. Joy to the World is not the only song that carries the same theme. Listen to Charles Wesley’s great hymn:

  • Hark the herald angels sing
    “Glory to the newborn King!
    Peace on earth and mercy mild
    God and sinners reconciled”
    Joyful, all ye nations rise
    Join the triumph of the skies
    With the angelic host proclaim:
    “Christ is born in Bethlehem”
    Hark! The herald angels sing
    “Glory to the newborn King!”
  • And, the refrain from O Come, O Come Emmanuel proclaims: “Rejoice, Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.”
  • Can we forget O Come All Ye Faithful? Doesn’t it say how we’re supposed to come? “Joyful and triumphant.”
  • And, of course, there is the magnificent Angels from the Realms of Glory:

Angels we have on heard high, Sweetly singing ore the plains, And the mountains in reply, Echoing their joyous strains

Each of the songs of the season echo exactly what the Psalmist sang in Psalm 96:11 – 13…

11 Let the heavens be glad, and the earth rejoice!
    Let the sea and everything in it shout his praise!
12 Let the fields and their crops burst out with joy!
    Let the trees of the forest sing for joy
13 before the Lord, for he is coming!

This is the “joyous” season, but there is a bit of a hollow ring each year at Christmas when we speak of joy. Christmas is, for many, the saddest time of the year. Many people find the stress of the holiday season overwhelming. Others battle depression, social isolation and loneliness. Still others are grieving the loss of a loved one. And, in this year of Covid-19, songs of joy, and smiling faces, and parties and gifts and such don’t really mean that much when no one really knows what Christmas gatherings will look like, or you’re living on the street in a cardboard box, or in a shelter with just the clothes on your back.

Chippie

There are, in fact, many people having a “Chippie” moment right now. You know who “Chippie” is, right? Max Lucado, in his book In the Eye of the Storm tells Chippie’s story. It all began when Chippie’s owner decided to clean out his cage with a vacuum. She stuck the nozzle into the cage to clean up the bottom of the cage. Suddenly the phone rang. She reached for the phone with her free hand and not realizing it, her hand holding the nozzle rose slowly upward and sucked Chippie into the vacuum cleaner. Realizing what she had done, she dropped the phone and turned off the vacuum. 

With her heart in her mouth, she opened the vacuum bag to rescue poor Chippie. Chippie was stunned and covered head to foot with gray dust, but thankfully he was still alive. She grabbed him and rushed him to the bathtub, turned on the cold water full blast and held him under the water giving him a power washing. Then it dawned on her that Chippie was soaking wet and shivering, so she did what any compassionate pet-owner would do. She snatched up the blow dryer and blasted him with hot air.

You may be wondering if Chippie survived all this. Yes, he did, but Lucado says, Chippie doesn’t sing much anymore. He mostly just sits there in his cage eyeing the closet where the vacuum cleaner is kept. Being sucked up, washed out, and blown over has stolen the joy from his heart.

There are a lot of people in the world living their “Chippie” moment this Christmas—maybe even a few reading this today. My prayer for you is that you will find joy this season.

Joy vs. Happiness

Don’t confuse joy with happiness, though. The two are not the same. Yes, joy can bring happiness, but happiness is too dependent upon what happens to us, and what happens to us is not always bright and wonderful. Sometimes, life happens to us, and life can be unkind. Joy abides in spite of what happens because joy is a gift, and the gift is Jesus Christ. He is our joy!

See, it works like this. While the happenings of life may not be “good news,” word of a Savior is “good news.” As a matter of fact, it’s the Gospel. There is One who came to deliver us from the brokenness of this world. There is One who came to give us strength. There is One who came to offer hope, to bring peace, and to show us love. That One is Jesus Christ, and to a person living the chippie moments of life, the realization that life will not always be like this brings its own joy. 

When we encounter Jesus, either in a manger, or on the cross, or risen in victory over death, joy captures us, and it causes us to worship. We get a glimpse of the glory and greatness of God, and joy captures us. Joy captures us when we see God’s promises fulfilled. Joy captures us when we experience God’s presence in new and life-changing ways. Oh, no, my friends! We can’t find joy! Joy finds us in the gift that is Jesus Christ.

The Apostle Paul knew that joy finds us because it found him. Paul was a “chippie.” He had been stripped of everything, locked in a cold, dark, and wet prison cell, and had even been sentenced to die. And he sits down to write his friends in Philippi. “Yep, I’m in prison, again. This time sentenced to die, and oh, by the way, “Rejoice in the Lord always, I will say it again rejoice!” From a cold, dark prison cell Paul writes a brief letter and mentions joy ten times! TEN TIMES!

How can Paul do that? He doesn’t have anything to be joyful about. His life is on the line, he is cold, wet, and tired, he has no freedom, has no shiny car with a bright red ribbon waiting for him in the driveway, no limited time diamond earring and necklace sale to take advantage of, no latest computer game or smartphone to occupy his time. He is parted from family and friends, and can’t take a single bit of joy from a job well done because well, being in prison has put his flourishing church-planting career on hold.

Yet over and over again, Paul brings up joy. Somehow he got it into his head, that you don’t need all that stuff to have joy. Even his earthly life being in jeopardy could not part him from joy. For Paul, joy doesn’t come from the world. It comes from God. God is the giver of true joy. God is the giver of a peace that passes all understanding. And, it doesn’t come from something we buy. It comes from something freely given—a person, Jesus Christ. Paul’s great joy was his assurance from God. He knew that nothing can separate us from the love of God which is through Christ Jesus our Lord. We, too, have this great joy.

This truth is, of course, summed up in a song. My favorite, and I believe the song that captures the heart of Christmas as well as any other is O Holy Night. Take a listen:

Oh holy night!
The stars are brightly shining
It is the night of the dear Savior’s birth!
Long lay the world in sin and error pining
Till he appear’d and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn!

Fall on your knees
Oh hear the angel voices
Oh night divine
Oh night when Christ was born
Oh night divine
Oh night divine

Truly He taught us to love one another
His law is love and His gospel is peace
Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother
And in His name all oppression shall cease
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
Let all within us praise His holy name

The light of joy is Jesus Christ. Lights and music. They are peas and carrots, indeed!

Until next time, keep looking up…