I've Been Joy-Nabbed!

This school year, we have chosen the Fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) as our preschool chapel theme. In August, I wondered how we’d explain spiritual “fruit” to preschool children. Would they understand that we were not talking about bananas and oranges but spiritual fruit? We decided it was probably a good idea, when dealing with 3-4 year olds, to start with “self-control”. So we talked about obedience, hands to yourself, being a first time listener, etc. We must have really driven this spiritual fruit home because now whenever we ask a fruit of the spirit question, their automatic response is “self-control”.  

Recently, we introduced the fruit of the spirit of “joy”. You’d think this would be an easy fruit to explain but it actually proved very difficult. How do you explain the difference between “happiness” and “joy” in preschool terms?

For example, 

Teacher: “If you receive a new toy, are you happy?”

Preschooler: “Yes!”

Teacher: “If that new toy breaks, are you still happy?”

Preschooler: “NO!”

Teacher: “But can you be joyful even if that new toy breaks?”

Preschooler: “No…”

Hmm…scrambling for an explanation, “Yes, you can. Even if your new toy breaks and you feel sad, you can still have the joy of Jesus in your heart.”

Blank stares from children….”Huh?”

The reason it’s so difficult to explain to children the difference between happiness and joy is because it is difficult concept for adults to grasp. Happiness is based on our outward circumstances while joy is based on an inward truth. How often do we allow our joy to be robbed by our outward circumstances?

Recently, I’ve been joy-nabbed. I’ve allowed the enemy to come in and rob me of my joy. The outward circumstances of this world are making me very unhappy. The other night, my husband asked me, “Why aren’t you sleeping? What are you worried about?”

Hmmm…let me see. How could I answer him honesty?

• The rape epidemics happening in nations throughout the world while the “powers that be” turn a blind eye.
• The exploitation and abuse of children who are being kidnapped and sold into sex slavery.
• Nations on the brink of World War III while we debate The Oscars.
• A terrorist organization gaining ground while we worry about political correctness.
• A political system that has been hijacked by greed and corruption because we have lost the will to fight and we are now surrendering our rights.
• A civil war of races among neighbors, who used to be friends, because celebrities and politicians have convinced us we are now enemies. All for an agenda that seems sinister in nature.
• My brothers and sisters in Christ being persecuted, burned alive, beheaded, crucified, sold, imprisoned throughout the world. And, I see this persecution already at work in my own country. Christians imprisoned for standing up for their faith, loss of jobs or position for posting scripture verses, sued for their personal beliefs and convictions, and even killed by terrorists for standing up for Jesus Christ. 

So, I didn’t know quite how to answer him other than to say, “I’ve been joy-nabbed.”

I’ve realized it’s OK for me to feel “unhappy” about all of these human atrocities. I SHOULD weep for those being abused and persecuted for their faith. I SHOULD lose sleep for those imprisoned for fighting the good fight. I SHOULD be burdened to pray for my nation, leaders, military, and first responders. Feeling compassion and sadness is having a small taste of what Jesus felt when he wept over Jerusalem or when he had compassion on the people who were like sheep without a Shepard. We should allow our unhappiness to move us to action and intercessory prayer. The scripture says we should remember those in prison as though we were in prison with them and remember those who are mistreated as if we felt the pain in our own bodies. (Hebrews 13:3)

BUT I should not allow my unhappiness to rob me of my joy. My joy comes from the inward truth that the Spirit of the Living God lives within me. The Creator of the Universe chose to leave His throne in Heaven, take on the limitations of a human body, just so that He could be close to me. He became Immanuel – God with us. In three years of ministry, Jesus changed the world. He conquered the devil and death and is now sitting at the right hand of the Father. But, God longed to dwell even closer to us. He longed to dwell in our hearts. So, He offers His life-changing Spirit to those willing to receive it. To those who believe, He adopts into His own family. He gives them the right to be called children of God, co-heirs with Jesus. (John 1:12; Romans 8:17)

Jesus promised that He would come back for me. He’s going to have the angels blow the trumpets. He’s going to peak through the clouds and with a loud shout, He’s going to say, “Yolanda, come up here!” And in a twinkling of an eye, I will see Him face to face. THAT IS MY TRUTH and it’s a sin to forget it and live my life in a state of darkness and depression when I should be walking in the power and love of Christ.  

[FOR] Blessed and happy are the people who know the joyful sound [of the trumpet’s blast]! They walk, O LORD, in the light and favor of Your countenance! In Your name they rejoice all the day, and in Your righteousness they are exalted. Psalm 89:15-16 (AMP)

So, as I sit on the carpet of life and Jesus, my Master Teacher, asks me:

“Yolanda, can you still have joy in the midst of your unhappiness?”

“Yes, LORD.”

“And how do you defeat the thief that comes to steal and destroy your joy?”

“Self-Control!”

Lovingly, Jesus says, “Let’s go over this again….”

What can I say; I’m a slow learner. Thankfully, God’s not finished with me yet. 

How about you? Have you been a victim of a joy-nabbing?

Love,

Yolanda

PS: If you’ve been “joy-nabbed” by painful outward circumstances, and you long for the joy of Jesus to be your inward truth, it’s as simple as inviting Jesus into your life. He stands at the door of your heart waiting for you to invite Him in. So pray this prayer with me:

Jesus, I ask you to forgive me of my sins. Thank you for dying on the cross on my behalf. Thank you that you conquered death so that I could have eternal life. I invite you to come live in my heart. Fill me and baptize me with Your Holy Spirit. I ask you to bless me with the Fruits of the Spirit and any and all gifts you want me to use for the furtherance of the Gospel. Give me a love for Your Word and wisdom and discernment to understand it. Reveal Yourself to me daily in all that I see and do. Protect me from attacks of the enemy who comes to rob and destroy. Lead and guide my life. In Jesus Name. Amen.

  

The Master’s Coming

And regarding the question, friends, that has come up about what happens to those already dead and buried, we don’t want you in the dark any longer. First off, you must not carry on over them like people who have nothing to look forward to, as if the grave were the last word. Since Jesus died and broke loose from the grave, God will most certainly bring back to life those who died in Jesus.And then this: We can tell you with complete confidence—we have the Master’s word on it—that when the Master comes again to get us, those of us who are still alive will not get a jump on the dead and leave them behind. In actual fact, they’ll be ahead of us. The Master himself will give the command. Archangel thunder! God’s trumpet blast! He’ll come down from heaven and the dead in Christ will rise—they’ll go first. Then the rest of us who are still alive at the time will be caught up with them into the clouds to meet the Master. Oh, we’ll be walking on air! And then there will be one huge family reunion with the Master. SO REASSURE ONE ANOTHER WITH THESE WORDS. 1 Thessalonians 4:14-18 (MSG)