A match is struck, and a tiny flame bursts out. That tiny flame is used to ignite something else. During advent, the match ignites a candle. When I think of the four themes of advent, hope, peace, joy, and love, I see them as more than blessings we receive. They shine out of us through our faith, hope, and love in Christ in several ways. That combination of faith, hope, and love is the fuel for shining our light with more hope, enduring peace, unshakable joy, and compassionate love.
Today, we are considering the third theme of advent – Joy. The one thing to keep in mind is that all these things work together. Faith provides a foundation, hope brings vision, love moves us to action, peace keeps us unruffled, and joy is the countenance (the look on our face) of our message.
Consider the words of the angels in Luke. “Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!” (Luke 2:9–11, NLT) That night near Bethlehem, the angels declared good news of great joy.
Joy should be the hallmark of our message to the world. A joy that is ignited through our faith, hope, and love in and for Christ. Not a fake, plastic, painted-on smile facade of joy – but genuine joy. The kind of joy you feel when you get good news. That doesn’t mean we can’t feel or express sadness, grief, or concern. Yet, even in a season of grief, it is necessary and healing to ignite a candle of joy. And when there seems to be nothing to be joyful about, we must find joy in the faithful love of God, even if that joy is the smallest of flames.
You see, joy transcends our circumstances. We can have joy in the darkness of a rat-infested jail cell after being lashed for a crime we did not commit. Do you think I’m stretching things a bit? The Bible records this in Acts, “A mob quickly formed against Paul and Silas, and the city officials ordered them stripped and beaten with wooden rods. They were severely beaten, and then they were thrown into prison. The jailer was ordered to make sure they didn’t escape. So the jailer put them into the inner dungeon and clamped their feet in the stocks. Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening.” (Acts 16:22–25, NLT) We aren’t told what those prayers and hymns were. But they may be revealed in the aftermath when the jailer asks what he needs to do to be saved. Even in that dark circumstance, Paul and Silas ignited a candle of joy.
This Christmas season, strive to grow your flame of Joy in the good news of Christ and to ignite others, even in some small way, with that same joy.
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