“And the disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost.” (Ac 13:52)
Knowing Jesus is to let our hearts be filled with joy. But if we do not mature as proper disciples, that initial euphoria will dissipate.
We have been made partakers of a pure, selfless love, only to watch our flesh attempt to tame it and transmute it into a self-serving resource to enhance our own agenda.
Everything revolved around us for so long that the transition from self-centered to Christ-centered is seldom smooth or immediate. The concern is for people who don’t seem to get it: they want to be joyful, but are not willing to be selfless.
The disciples who experienced joy and fulness of the Holy Spirit lived in an environment of intense evangelistic activity. They were full of joy because the Word of Christ had spread throughout the region.
True joy is not sustainable apart from the fulness of the Spirit; the fulness of the Spirit does not manifest itself without up-close-and-personal evangelistic activity.
So, if you are not feeling the joy, maybe the answer is not another study to dig deeper in the Word. Maybe it’s time to tear your gaze away from the mirror. Share some of that selfless love that was so generously given to you.
Talk to someone today about Jesus. –By Missionary Greg Smith
