Marked by Joy

Marked by Joy

Jumping for joyAre you marked by joy?
Is it evident in your life that Christ lives in you?
If he lives in you, your life should be brimming with joy.
Because God is joy.

God is indeed the source of joy. All joy comes from him. When we stick close to God, joy is present in our lives no matter how dark the world around is. When we dare to embrace the cross of Christ, we are filled with overflowing joy. And this joy does not depend on the outward circumstances. This is holy joy.

I have told you these things, that My joy and delight may be in you, and that your joy and gladness may be of full measure and complete and overflowing. (John 15:11, AMP)

Everything God does is marked by joy. When we are friends with Jesus, this joy permeates also our lives. This has been true for all the generations of Christians. Also, one of the standard qualifications for a Christian to be canonized as a saint at the Roman Catholic Church is the evidence of hilaritas (joyousness, cheerfulness, merriment, hilarity in Latin). This means that they had to be marked by joy, capable of laughing, always ready to celebrate, praise and worship. That’s what cheerful living is all about.

How about you?
Is there enough evidence of joy in your life?
Maybe not enough to be canonized as a saint.
But hopefully enough to be defined as a Christian.

 

Gracious God,
Thank you for being such a delightful God.
Make us more like you!
Make our hearts glad and grateful!
Enable us to live cheerfully and
love extravagantly.
Pour out joy upon joy!
In Jesus’ name,
Amen

Q4U: Is your life brimming with joy?

Be blessed, my fellow pilgrim, as you celebrate Life and the Giver of Life!

Giving thanks today for
#501 God who does everything in joy
#502 God who delights in us
#503 God who pours out joy on us
#504 God who creates in joy, saves us in joy, returns in joy
#505 joy in the Lord
#506 heaven is a joyful existence
#507 God loves love and laughter
#508 the closer to the Lord, the more joyful we are
#509 God is joy
#510 joyful living in the Lord
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Image courtesy of photobucket.com. Linking up today with Sharing His Beauty & Hear it on Sunday, Use it on Monday & Soli Deo Gloria &

11 thoughts on “Marked by Joy

  1. When we focus on the world and our problems it is hard to have joy. But when we focus on the Savior and His promises, Joy becomes much easier to experience.
    Godly joy is not dependent upon our circumstances, it come from God- but that takes knowing God and developing that relationship.
    we can’t ignore a relationship and think it will grow, no we must daily work on that relationship.  

  2. I love this post…. visiting from Multitudes on Mondays and enJOYed reading your thoughts on joy, which is my word of the year. 🙂  

  3. Thank you for your lovely post on Joy :). I am marked with joy in a few ways; for what my Lord has done for me – I will always be filled with His joy. And also I am so blessed that I was given the name Joy as my middle name, I love it so much, as it reminds me daily of how my Creator loves me.

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