Joy
“But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.”
Philippians 3: 7-9 NIV
Joy is the theme of Paul’s letter to the Philippians. His words are crafted in a way in which you literally feel the exuberance of his spirit in every sentiment. His delight is like that of children who finds themselves in the comfort and safety of a loving parent. The joy is not a conditional happiness, but rather a deep and abiding truth embedded in the core of his being. Ultimately, it is the mark of who we are and, until we identify ourselves as belonging to God, we will strive endlessly to prove our worthiness and we will never find true joy.
Created in the image of God, we believe our existence is part of God’s great plan. As an artist, God’s design of us was deliberate and with purpose. Our unique qualities are simply His signature on a great piece of art. Unfortunately, somewhere along the way, we lost sight of the masterpiece within. We found ourselves following a different voice. This outside voice told us that “doing” was more important than “being.” Our way of thinking had us believe in a works-based lifestyle (salvation) based on a law. In this formula, not only was grace eliminated, but more importantly, so too was our joy.
Paul is one who speaks with authority. It wasn’t until he himself came face to face with Jesus that he realized what he had accomplished in life really did not matter. Despite being a high achiever, what he thought he had gained was nothing compared to coming to faith in Christ. From the moment of his conversion to taking his last breath on earth, there was nothing more important to him then “knowing” God. The more he knew God, the deeper his joy became.
Each of us are called to the same type of pursuit. Being “marked as Christ’s own forever” at our baptism was only the beginning. With every breath we take, we have the opportunity to know God more. This knowledge will lead not only to a deeper understanding of grace, but like Paul, it will be the ultimate source of our joy.
The challenge today is before us. With Paul as our example, what can we do today to know God better?
