"Always be joyful" (1 Thessalonians, ch. 5, v. 16*).
The verse for today is one of the shortest in the Bible, but what a powerful message these three words carry!
The verse presents us with a command, indicating that joyless Christians are disobedient. And not only that – we are told to always be joyful. But how is such a thing possible?
The main factor we need to consider is the source of our joy. Sometimes we are tempted to think that our level of joy is directly linked to the situation we find ourselves in. The more pleasant our surroundings, the greater our joy will be. The problem with this way of thinking is that we cannot always choose or control the circumstances around us. Our health may deteriorate. We may lose our job. We may lose a loved one. Furthermore, there is no guarantee that happy circumstances will lead to a happy heart. Playwright George Bernard Shaw says there are two sources of unhappiness in life: the first is not getting what you want, and the second is getting it.
The only sure source of joy is the Lord Jesus Christ. The external circumstances of our life will change, but the inner reality of Christ's presence in our hearts will never change.
If we remain connected with our Lord, the command to be joyful will fulfill itself.
Link to the original article: https://todaydevotional.com/devotions/the-secret-to-joyfulness-2012-01-14
*Bible quotes are from Bible, new translation from the original languages © Bulgarian Bible Society 2013