Minute Musings...Joy In Serving Jesus

Where do you look for joy?  Do you look to your spouse, children, perhaps your job or
hobbies?  May I tell you today that you might find happiness in these things, but that's
all.  Happiness is temporal, joy is eternal.  Temporal means that it is libel to changes
associated with mood, eternal means that it is ceaseless.  Lets look at the dictionary
definitions of joy and happiness.  Joy is the "exhilaration of the spirit" and happiness
is, "glad, content, lucky, fortunate."  Can you see the difference, joy stems from the
"new man," happiness from the "old man." 

Psalms 16:11  "In Thy presence is fullness of joy:"  In the presence of the eternal
God we find eternal joy.  Therefore it goes without saying that serving Jesus brings
eternal joy.  When we are serving the Lord we are working with the eternal in view,
not the temporal.  What we do for Jesus will last forever. 

I would like to quote something that John Wesley said about serving God.  "One of
the principal rules of religion is, to lose no occasion of serving God.  And, since He
is invisible to our eyes, we are to serve Him in our neighbour;  which He receives as
if done to Himself in person, standing visibly before us."  This statement is further
backed up in Matthew 25:35-40  "For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat;  I
was thirsty and ye gave me drink:  I was a stranger, and ye took me in:  Naked,
and ye clothed me:  I was sick, and ye visited me:  I was in prison, and ye came
unto me.  Then shall the righteous answer Him, saying, Lord, when saw we Thee
an hungred, and fed Thee?  Or thirsty, and gave Thee drink?  When saw we Thee
a stranger, and took Thee in?  Or naked, and clothed Thee?  Or when saw we
Thee sick, or in prison, and came unto Thee?  And the King shall answer and say
unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the
least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto Me." 

What a spiritual truth is contained in these verses!  When we serve others, we are in
fact serving God!  This gives new meaning to kindness doesn't it.  We are reminded
in Ephesians 13:16, "But to do good and to communicate forget not;  for with
such sacrifices God is well pleased."  Did you catch the key word in this verse...
"sacrifices."  Our service to God, which is worked out in our service to others, should
involve a sacrifice on our part.  Whether we sacrifice money, goods or time, this "doing
good," is our sacrifice of love to our Lord.  Ephesians 2:10  "For we are His workman-
ship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God hath before ordained
that we should walk in them." 

Are you walking in "good works" today?  Don't confuse our good works with obtaining
salvation.  Good works are the evidence of a regenerated life, not the means to a
regenerated life!  There is a joy that is created when we serve the Lord, are you
experiencing this joy today?

Joy In Serving Jesus

There is joy in serving Jesus,

As I journey on my way,

Joy that fills the heart with praises,

Every hour and every day.

There is joy in serving Jesus,

Joy that triumphs over pain;

Fills my soul with heavens music,

Till I join the glad refrain.

There is joy in serving Jesus,

As I walk alone with God;

Tis the joy of Christ my Savior,

Who the path of suffering trod.

There is joy in serving Jesus,

Joy amid the darkest night;

For I've learned the wondrous secret,

And I'm walking in the light.

There is joy, joy, joy in serving Jesus,

Joy that throbs within my heart;

Every moment, every hour, as I draw upon His power,

There is joy, joy, joy that never shall depart.

                                   Oswald J. Smith.