Joy

I search the word "joy" on the internet and here is what it comes up:

"the emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying" (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/joy)

Something exceptionally good or satisfying? What is it?

I guess after two years of studying psychology, the most important term I have learned is "individual differences". Although we do classify people into categories, we are still unique and no one is the same.

If we put this into the context of joy, does it mean that everyone finds different things that bring them joy? Is there one thing that leads us ALL to be joyful?

I couldn't find one except in one baby. The baby whose birth is celebrated every year. Indeed, in Him, we find true joy - joy that never fades.

However, humans are paradoxical. We constantly seek pleasure/happiness (and yes I am thinking about Freud's ideas but I am not going to explain them since he is hated by a lot of people) yet we tend to remember sad things. Imagine yourself lying on your bed finding hard to sleep at 3am in the morning. You are alone in your room and it is raining outside. I can guarantee that your brain will be very active and starts to think about a lot of things. Would you be thinking about the happy times that you and your friends are having fun, or would you be recalling some traumatic memories? I don't know about you but I would definitely be the latter case. That is us. We constantly thinking about negative things. Even if we had a good time, we would have that "post-fun syndrome" and feel pretty upset afterwards. It seems like we forget about the happy things quite a lot of times but sadness is hitting us all the time. It is usually the case where sorrow overshadow joy.

But behold! It is Christmas! The birth of the Saviour who brings us true joy. This good news just "out-joy" all the misery because in Him we have hope. This baby (well, he did turn into a man eventually), who chose to come to this world for OUR sake, is the biggest and best gift a man could ever receive. We have every single reason to be joyful in Him.

But let us forget not that we can still feel sorrow when we have joy in our heart. Joy and sorrow are inseparable. The very sentence that hit me on Sunday is that "we don't know the heights of the mountain unless we start from the bottom".

So, whenever you are down-hearted and feeling blue next time, you don't need to search anywhere for joy - just simply think about this present. As Christmas is near, let's be joyful together and celebrate the birth of the Greatest.


Joy to the world, the Lord is come.


Peace.

T



p.s. The reason for the cat picture is because of the video that Brad showed us on Sunday.

The Waiting Room

Hey everyone, it's me again, being late again!

Matthew 24:22-24.

This passage is all about being ready for when Jesus returns. Here, Christ is referred to as a thief, something unexpected and undesired for the housekeeper. It's true that Jesus' return will not be good news for everyone, some will not want it, for some it will be salvation and for others it will be the end. But for those who are saved, what must you do?

I know that I always struggle with sin as we all do. Sometimes keeping squeaky clean (or our uniforms tidy, as it may be) is hard, it's an uphill battle and all this waiting is such a burden. I just want to share something I've learned this week. All the time that we are here on this earth is a time of waiting, we are essentially sitting in the waiting room in the hospital, waiting for all of our hurts and aches to be completely removed. God has revealed Himself as a God who loves, a God who sacrifices, a God who is in the dirt with those who are at the bottom. The teenage girl who has had an abortion, the husband who struggles with infidelity, the bully in the playground...these are the people who God is with. These are those who Jesus died for.

If we are to get to the standard God wants us to be at, we need to look to Jesus. We need to be more like Him. So how do we do this? This isn't something you can learn about, it isn't about reading the big fat theology books or thinking it away, giving all the best arguments or having the most logical answer. No, God never said that is how we find Him. Instead, we find God by doing, by rolling up our sleeves and getting in the dirt because that is where He is.

If we just stop trying so hard to be ready and just go out and show this world what Christ showed, then the wait won't be so hard. Once this has become second nature to you, just like riding a bike, you will be ready. We should stop trying and trying, straining to be ready for when Christ returns but just be ready.

~Sck

Life in a Stump

Apologies for this entry being EXTREMELY late but here it is. A couple of weeks ago Brad spoke to us on Isaiah 11:1-10. At the time Israel was in a mess and like a stump, there was no life, it was rock bottom, hit the floor, right there in the dirt. Often I find myself thrown into that position, to feel surrounded by darkness, engulfed in my own sin and sometimes seeing no way out and sometimes even not knowing where I am.

This week, I've been listening to sermons on the beatitudes and the first one especially hit a chord within me. Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. I've heard so many people say that this is about the poor, those who have no money or that it's about the humble...something to be attained. But that is not the case, being 'poor in spirit' is not a good thing, it refers to those who are lacking, those who are steeped in sin. The poor in spirit are the people who struggle with what they look at on the internet, those who have a desire to get to the top and will step on everyone to do it, those who see a homeless guy on the street and kick him. Jesus says blessed are these people, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

This is exactly the message in Isaiah. Israel was poor in spirit, just as we are. Israel was dead, all hope was lost, just as we are. But God promises new life, God promises change, peace, salvation. Just as it is promised to us. This is the gospel, the good news of Christ. It's not about having to attain a certain standard before you can meet God but He will meet us where we are. However low we've shrunk, even if we have hit rock bottom. God's blessing is not for those who have it all together, for those who believe themselves to be righteous, but it is for you and me, in all of our flaws and struggles. God will meet us where we are and there is always hope, there is always life, even from a tree stump.

~Sck