Re-JOYcing and Recycling

Rejoice and again I say, Rejoice! Can I equate it to recycling? Just think about it. When we recycle, we are taking something that has previously been used and using it again (perhaps in a different way). When we think of rejoicing, we may often be concerned that it is redundant. We were joyful already, doesn't that count? It sounds like something a teenager might say; but true rejoicing is never redundant, it is recycled!

This week, I struggled to find joy in my sorrow. With three funerals in two weeks, I found it hard to genuinely smile. I may have been a bit short with others and the happiness tank was low. How do you find joy in sorrow? The answer is in the Word. We do not sorrow like those in the world do who have no hope. ( 1 Thessalonians 4:13, KJV) We look forward to heaven and the glory that awaits us. Being full of hope brings joy. Remember that and recycle it.

The older saints in my church used to say "When I think back over my life and all that the Lord has done for me, my soul cries out 'Hallelujah, Thank God for saving me'. The joy that we experience may not come from present circumstances at all. It could be something that we continually thank the Lord for that happened long ago. Or, we could even be rejoicing about what we are thanking God for in advance! When things are recycled, they are not refuse or garbage any longer. They have value.

Our rejoicing has value to God!!

He wants us to be joyful which is why this is listed among the fruit of the spirit in Galatians 6. He expects us to rejoice always, not because things are going good, but because He is good!

Recycling joy is for our collective good as the Body of Christ. We got new garbage cans this past month from the city. They had a great idea to discard all of our trash in a unified way. They encouraged recycling in an effort to keep the community healthier and maintain green spaces. Like the church as a whole, we must maintain our joy not only for our sakes, but for the sake of others. The joy of the Lord is our strength. If you are stronger, so am I!

The Bible tells us that a cheerful countenance and a merry heart works like medicine. It is healthy to be joyful, but a broken spirit drieth the bones. (Proverbs 17:22, KJV). The church needs to be a strong body of believers.

So get your joy back. Smile. Understand that not recycling joy is wasteful and only builds up clutter. Let's choose to re-JOYce!


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