The joy of the Lord is our strength

In the world there are absolutely afflictions, there are difficulties and we have to learn to cope with that dimension of life that is part of the sufferings, the difficulties. But the wonderful thing is that Paul does not stop there. He not only talks about the importance of patience, long-suffering, being suffered in the midst of the afflictions that will undoubtedly come and the problems and setbacks but that He also speaks, says that: "With joy giving thanks to the Father." (Colossians 1:11)

That is such an important quality that we have to cultivate brothers, joy. It is not only patience, long-suffering, being long-suffering, enduring, but also the Christian life is a life of joy. The Apostle Paul in the Epistle to the Philippians tells us about rejoicing and I think we have spoken in previous meditations about the importance of joy.

Paul in the midst of the great trial of his captivity, of his imprisonment calls the Christians of Philippi to rejoice in the Lord and his Epistle to the Philippians which was written in chains is an epistle that has been called the epistle of joy because it reflects that called to rejoice and rejoice in the Lord.

As children of God we have the inheritance of eternal life, we have God's love in our hearts, we have peace with God, we have all the fruits and gifts of the Holy Spirit there is no way we cannot rejoice. The Christian life is not only a life on the defensive of patience and suffering but it is also a life of celebration and joy. And that joy he says is also our strength, the joy of the Lord is our strength.

In rejoicing, in actively celebrating and speaking positive language every day and thanking God for His blessings and love there is some power as well. Joy attracts joy. Gratitude attracts circumstances that then give us more reason to be grateful. It is an irony of the Christian life that to have joy we need joy. If we cultivate the joy of the Lord through our words, through an expectation of the good things that are going to come into our Christian life, that will engender even more joy in us.

We have to understand that God calls us to a posture of joy, gratitude, celebration and that as we celebrate and declare the things that God has done in our lives and the good attributes of the Christian life that will generate more joy in us. and it will bring good things to our life.

Many Christians do not receive more blessing from God because they are not more diligent in using that language of gratitude and joy to the Lord. Let us remember that God does not only call us to suffer and to endure and to be patient, but He also calls us to rejoice. And that rejoicing is not a rejoicing we always say merely emotional, it is not like being joyful because many times we can be in a trial situation and still rejoice with an internal joy that our life is secure in the Lord, that Satan does not have the last word, that the time of victory is coming, that after death also comes the eternal celebration of being in the Presence of the Lord and of the cessation of all suffering here on Earth, that we have access to the Power of God to also live positive lives.

That God has promised us everything we need here on Earth. Our daily bread, a roof over our head, a blessing for our children, an inheritance that continues and continues even after we have passed through this land. All these things and many more are reasons also for us to be joyful in the Lord. So let's cultivate joy and cultivate gratitude towards the Lord, these two things are virtues that every believer needs to complete the character of Christ in them. May the Lord bless you and until our next meditation.