I should be happier

A couple conversations yesterday got me thinking how Christians ought to be the happiest people on the planet.

The first was an afternoon idea-ing and planning session talking about our church’s Advent series coming up the few weeks before Christmas. One theme will be JOY … and how much Joy there was when Christ came the first time, how much there shall be one day when He returns in the fullness of His glory, and the unending pleasure to be found as subjects and sons and daughters in His Kingdom.

Being forgiven and right with God on the basis of nothing we have done in and of ourselves (except to contribute to the need for redemption and a Savior) is the basis of our joy. God is our joy. Find as much pleasure as you can in God — for we were created to prefer Him above all else. (And as we recognize that Jesus Himself gave Himself away, for the joy set before Him ( Heb. 12:2 ) and laid down His life, enduring the cross, then we see that quickest path to joy today is to resolve to find our identity in Jesus, and to give our time and resources — our very lives — in the service of others.)

The second centered around the message last night at high school group. Aaron preached on Romans 3:21-26 , a passage packed with the mystery and wonder of what God has done in His Son. Yes, that is a place in Scripture full of "happy tensions," for in Christ God was reconciling the world to Himself, not holding their (our) sins against them (us). Justification. Propitiation. Forgiveness. Redemption. All wonderful and transforming realities. Yet, none of them has the value they were meant to, apart from what they do — they remove all the obstacles to our getting to God. (Or, really, His getting to us, since He is the One who initiated and came to us, removing all the obstacles.) Wow. So much to think of. So much to be happier about. There, joy came and found me today. It came from outside of myself, and drew me outside of myself. Much happier now.