LifeLink Devotions for Friday, August 23, 2024

In this concluding chapter of the book of Philippians, Paul has moved from teaching us how to have joy to showing us the results of learning to rejoice in the Lord. Yesterday we looked at the first two by-products of rejoicing: peace and unity in our relationships. Today we discover another Christ-like characteristic that is produced by joy – compassion.

Let’s review a vital definition of joy. Biblical joy is choosing to respond to external circumstances with inner contentment and satisfaction, because we know that God will use these experiences to accomplish His work in and through our lives. Joy is a feeling of good pleasure and happiness that is dependent on who Jesus is rather than on who we are or what is happening around us. Joy is a gift from God, and it is something to be celebrated and shared with others. Joy is rooted in who God is and is not fleeting or based on circumstances.

Joy is one of the fruit of the Spirit of God within us. It is not an emotion. Happiness is an emotional response to circumstances, just as anger and disappointment and sadness. Joy, however, is an expression of the life of Jesus in us. Just as the nature of Jesus is not changed by circumstances, so His life in us is not changed by circumstances. Joy is so much more than a feeling. It unites our faith with confidence and covers our emotions with the umbrella of peace.

Something happens in the hearts of people who are living in joy. Their focus switches from themselves to others. Their own needs become secondary to the needs of others. Instead of complaining about what’s wrong in their own life, they develop compassion for how others are hurting.

Look at how the Apostle Paul describes the people of joy in Philippi in verse ten of chapter four.“I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last you have renewed your concern for me.” When the people of the church began to rejoice in the Lord, regardless of their circumstances, they began to see the needs of Paul, which caused him to rejoice even more. When the church of Jesus Christ begins acting like the Body of Jesus Christ by loving others the way Jesus did, it produces even more joy in the individual members of the Body.

Of all the churches Paul organized, this one church had set the standard for how to take care of their pastor and missionary. They knew how to come along side him and support him even while he was in prison. Their love for Jesus and their experience of His joy through all the trials and troubles of life raised their awareness of the needs of others.

At some point we all must come to the crossroads of two major highways of life: Route Me and Route You. When we are rejoicing in the Lord, we choose Route You. When we are intent on finding emotional security from the circumstances of this world we will choose Route Me. May the church, the Body of Christ, become known for choosing Route You.

Pastor John