The opposite of joy is not sorrow. It is unbelief. ~ Leslie Weatherhead ~
"Do wedding guests fast while celebrating with the groom? Of course not. They can't fast while the groom is with them" {Mark 2:19}.
For some people, faith is a matter of unflinchingly abstaining from all the joys of life. Discipline is a fundamental part of Christianity, but they exaggerate the principle beyond all bounds. They not only deny themselves joy, but also deprive others of it.
Jesus often referred to the kingdom of God as a feast. We read that He often attended festivities of some kind. In the Scripture, He portrays Himself as the groom at a wedding and His followers as the groom's guests. Their weddings were not the half-day celebrations we know today, but often lasted a whole week. A wedding was a festive and a joyful occasion. With this, Christ was pronouncing a loud and clear "no" to everyone who wanted to turn religion into a long-faced, joyless endurance test. He was saying, "To live with Me is to celebrate life!" He wasn't propagating a carefree, irresponsible and artificial approach to life. He was positive, confident and joyful.
At best, life is not easy. As far as this is concerned, you and I are no different from anyone else. Celebrating life with Jesus is experiencing life with all its joys and sorrows, successes and failures with a cheerful heart and attitude; with a positive mindset and a trusting faith. It is to hope against hope, no matter how difficult the situation, and to seek the lovely, the good and the holy. How does this celebration fit into the framework of your approach to life? Change it today.
Jesus often referred to the kingdom of God as a feast. We read that He often attended festivities of some kind. In the Scripture, He portrays Himself as the groom at a wedding and His followers as the groom's guests. Their weddings were not the half-day celebrations we know today, but often lasted a whole week. A wedding was a festive and a joyful occasion. With this, Christ was pronouncing a loud and clear "no" to everyone who wanted to turn religion into a long-faced, joyless endurance test. He was saying, "To live with Me is to celebrate life!" He wasn't propagating a carefree, irresponsible and artificial approach to life. He was positive, confident and joyful.
At best, life is not easy. As far as this is concerned, you and I are no different from anyone else. Celebrating life with Jesus is experiencing life with all its joys and sorrows, successes and failures with a cheerful heart and attitude; with a positive mindset and a trusting faith. It is to hope against hope, no matter how difficult the situation, and to seek the lovely, the good and the holy. How does this celebration fit into the framework of your approach to life? Change it today.
Father God, turn all our sorrow into pure joy in You. Amen.
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