Wendy Blight: Can you believe Christmas is only a few weeks away?
How do you feel now when you look at your to-do list? Are you stressed? Overwhelmed?
OK, maybe even calm?
We hope this study continues to create time and space for you to rest and refocus as you
take a few moments to reflect on the reason for the season.
This week, we'll focus on the word JOY.
Sometimes it's hard to be joyful when our house doesn't reflect the picture-perfect
decorated homes we see on Pinterest and in our social media, when our bank accounts are
low, or when we have an empty seat around our Christmas table this year.
Kayla, how can we be filled with JOY when our circumstances look anything but joyful?
Kayla Ferris: Hi, friends!
I can remember a Christmas when my girls were little-bitty.
In the midst of diapers, sippy cups, and chasing those babies, I was one exhausted mom.
I can remember the tree was only half-decorated because newly-walking babies just pull all
the bottom ornaments off anyway.
I had not wrapped a single Christmas gift or watched a single Christmas movie or baked
a single Christmas cookie.
One evening, I looked over at my husband and said, "I do not feel the Christmas magic."
Maybe you are there too.
Maybe this Christmas doesn't feel so joyful.
I want to make a suggestion that changes the way we see joy, because I don't believe joy
is a feeling.
Our feelings like happy, sad, or stressed -- we don't have complete control over those,
do we?
Our feelings are very often linked to our circumstances.
When something goes well, I feel happy.
When something goes bad, I feel sad.
Joy is not found in circumstances.
Joy is found in a person.
In fact, I truly believe that real joy is only found in Jesus.
And because joy is not a feeling, and it doesn't depend on our circumstances but on Jesus inside
of us, then that means joy is present, no matter what is going on around us.
In fact, I want to suggest to you that true joy stands out the most when life is hard.
This is when we see joy the clearest -- when it doesn't seem to make sense -- and the only
possible answer is Jesus in me.
So, what does this look like?
When we have peace when the rest of the world is screaming, "Panic!" ... that's joy.
When you find an inward strength you didn't know you had because you are feeling really
weak right now ... joy.
Joy is a light that refuses to go out when we feel covered in darkness.
Joy is being able to see beauty where the rest of the world can only see ashes.
Friends, when the rest of the world is falling apart, you are not, because you are standing
on the Rock that is Christ. That is joy!
It's not being afraid anymore.
There's only one way that we can have this, and it's by keeping our eyes on the source
-- on Jesus.
Philippians 4:4, one of my favorite verses, says, "Rejoice in the Lord always." Always.
That means we can have joy when we feel happy.
But it also means we can have joy when we feel sad, stressed, or tired, because joy
is not a feeling.
Joy is the peace and strength and light and beauty and security that only comes from knowing
Jesus.
So how can you remember JOY this week?
For our moment of reflection, I would like to just encourage you to light a candle this
week -- any candle, a Christmas candle -- and let this candle remind you of Jesus, the light
of the world.
And let it remind you that Jesus is JOY and JOY shines brightest when it's dark.
Have a great week, friends!
WB: JOY.
I love this word and Kayla I love the idea of lighting a candle to remember what this
word really means.
Kayla said it beautifully, "You are standing on the Rock that is Christ.
That is joy."
It's not being afraid anymore, and there's only one way we can have this.
It's by keeping our eyes on the source of joy, Jesus.
We pray that with each week we've spent together you've been fixing your eyes on Jesus more
and more, soaking in God's Word more and more, because -- say it with me -- when we know
the truth and live the truth, it changes everything!
1 Transcribed by https://otter.ai