Spotlight 19: “Joy in Christ”—more than a motto
We must never be embarrassed about “Joy in Christ”; we rather share it. The following thoughts on our 2015 motto were written by District Apostle Andrew H. Andersen from Australia.
Joy in Christ is an attitude that radiates from a believing, practicing, and faithful Christian. It all begins with an understanding of who Christ is. Such an understanding is gained from either being taught by parents or other teachers in one’s life, or by the accepted testimony of a trusted individual.
Once the understanding that Jesus Christ is God, the Son has been established, the respect for Christ grows and the relationship with Him can be worked upon. Soon the experiences of faith build up a trust in Him that becomes very personal, and the thankfulness comes to the fore.
Children of God have all experienced this “process” in one way or another in their lives. This is what develops this joy in Christ that is such a fundamental part of their way of life. It becomes the foundation of one’s character and an integral part of one’s nature. Hence it can be accurately described as being an attitude that such an individual approaches everything in life with.
The visible part of our joy in Christ is made up of many parts including
- our thankfulness that comes from the recognition of the grace that we have been given and the oneness we share with Christ our Saviour. It is important that we are always thankful for what we have and not annoyed about what we do not have.
- our confidence that is founded in our knowledge that Christ is always by our side and that we can trust Him implicitly. We feel His presence at all times.
- the expectation that He will return soon to take His own with Him into God’s kingdom. He will fulfil His promise.
Our joy in Christ is by no means confined to the time we spend in the congregation or with our brothers and sisters. It is the manifestation of who we are. That others can see and feel our joy in Christ is not because we “put on a show” for them; it is because we simply cannot hide what lives in us. We must never be embarrassed about that; we rather share it.
Photo: NAC Auckland
