Joy and You! (corny I know but it fits)

So the college experience can be best explained by a personal rollercoaster of emotions. While at college, during the scholastic semester, every fiber of my being desires to get away from the work and hustle and bustle of the overcrowded life. Yet, whilst I’m away, I always desire for that very same hustle and bustle back. I don’t really get it; can’t i make up my mind to choose one over the other? 

College, in this aspect, relates to my entire life experience. Every day I spend in the world, I enjoy things to a certain extent, but I long for something more. I want things to be better, I want to be better, I want to do so many things for the Lord, but my human-ness tells me that the things that are better for me here, in the flesh (a lie from the devil). God has no greater plan for us than to be "in His Will" living in His spirit and experiencing true joy! 

Joy, --joy is the thing that I regret to say -- is one of the things that, for the past couple of months – has been lacking in my life, and I hadn’t realized why until recently: Why had I "lost" the joy I had grown accustomed to?

 It was the very fact that I had grown accustomed to it that got me in trouble. I had grown so comfortable that I had fallen out of the presence of the Lord!

 Lev 9:23                Moses and Aaron then went into the Tent of Meeting. When they came out, they blessed the people; and the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people.

Lev 9:24                Fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the fat portions on the altar. And when all the people saw it, they shouted for joy and fell facedown.

That’s the kind of joy I want to experience; where the presence of the Lord is felt so heavily that I have to fall on my face in undisputed, undignified, unnatural worship!

Now, God (probably) won’t appear to us in this way when His presence comes down, He’s got the Holy Spirit for that now, but the effect should be the same ;-).

In order to not grow comfortable and slide away from God, we need to surround ourselves with other Christians; the kinds that are going to build us up and hold us accountable (make us uncomfortable sometimes).

 I have a great friend that just happens to be my roommate, and just being around him is my encouragement: to not be comfortable in life and to have joy!

1Th 2:17               But, brothers, when we were torn away from you for a short time (in person, not in thought), out of our intense longing we made every effort to see you.

1Th 2:18               for we wanted to come to you-certainly I, Paul, did, again and again-but Satan stopped us.

1Th 2:19               for what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you?

1Th 2:20               Indeed, you are our glory and joy.

 

I felt this same way over the break; I was away from all the people that I considered my accountability partners, those who kept me in the constant joy! Satan found every way to keep me away. “Indeed you (my friends) are our glory and joy.”

We are the hope and glories of the Lord Jesus until he comes back again, are you exemplifying that?

·         We need to be there for each other, lift each other up!

o   Are you doing that?

o   Are you being accountable to those around you?

o   Reminding, just with your presence, that God is the primary in your life?

o   Or are you worshiping something else?

o   Bringing your friends down?

o   Are you worshiping God? Or putting the creation before the Creator?