Finding joy in the journey...





"... and find satisfaction in all their toil 
- this is the gift of God."
Eccl 3:13

Solomon, the wisest man earth has ever seen, said this: "I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God." (Eccl 3: 12-13)

To most of people, life seems to be a journey in which they labor, labor, labor and every now and then they will experience some measure of satisfaction. It is like, people set a few things they wish to accomplish in life and then spend the rest of it toiling in order to achieve them, and whenever any of them is achieved, they will experience some time (a day, a week, if much a month) of joy and then, it will start all over again: another season of much work and little satisfaction. Days are seen as ordinary and not special at all until the next "special big event" in life comes (marriage, graduation, children, a new job, etc). 

But according to Solomon, life is not meant to be like that. We were born to live a life of COMPLETE JOY even in the ordinary days and as we do ordinary tasks (our "eating and drinking"). For joy is not meant to be dependent on EXTERNAL things, but on what is INSIDE and the KINGDOM OF GOD is what is INSIDE of us. And what is the kingdom of God? 

"For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, 
but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit" 
Rom 14:17

As we can see, JOY represents ONE THIRD of the Kingdom of God, and it is a result not of what happens to us TODAY or our accomplishments, but of what has HAPPENED TO US when Jesus CAME and made us RIGHTEOUS before the Father, giving us PEACE with God, which brings JOY to our lives!

Jesus said...

 "I have told you these things so that My joy and delight may be in you, and that your joy may be made 
full and complete and overflowing." 
John 15:11

The word joy in this passage is the greek word chara/xara and it means: 1) extend favor; 2)  the awareness (of God's) grace, favor;  3) grace recognized. There is a etymological link between xaírō ("rejoice because of grace"), xará ("joy because of grace").

It is amazing that Jesus was telling us that we will experience such joy as we recognize HIS FAVOR (GRACE) upon us! That is totally opposite from LABORING TOWARDS ACHIEVING THINGS which are supposed to cause us to be happy. JOY is all about what HE HAS DONE already. Our work now is simply to RECOGNIZE HIS WORK. This is how we really get to honor Jesus!   

The moment we start ACKNOWLEDGING His grace, his favor upon our lives, we will SEE joy in our daily journey- even in our eating and drinking - in the mundane of life. 

Simply remember: joy won´t come from earthly things, for it already CAME from HEAVEN and now is in our hearts FOREVER! 


EVERY WEEK A NEW HEAVENLY POST



STAY TUNNED! 


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