Luke 6:22-23
Verse 23 “Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their ancestors treated the prophets.”
One of the hardest places for us to see how we can apply joy to our lives is when we are suffering for the sake of the Lord. Of course we in America don’t tend to suffer for our faith as those in other countries but we do find pushback and it seems to be growing. It is in the face of persecution that Jesus tells His followers to apply joy.
This is a reminder that joy doesn’t just happen. We need to apply it to our lives and so that means putting in the effort to choose joy, even when you feel hurt or frustrated. Also note that Jesus doesn’t say, “If you face persecution” but that “when” we face it we need to take joy in it. Taking joy in the midst of trials is not something we naturally choose to do as humans, because it isn’t comfortable. We like to have everything going well in life and prefer people like us and treat us well. But that is because we tend to look at life through a short-term, earthly view.
We will struggle to apply joy to our lives until we start seeing trials from the eternal point of view. That is why Jesus was making the point He was. He knew more than anyone how standing with and for Him was going to bring persecution because He had seen it happen time and time again with the prophets of the previous generations.
Another thing Jesus needed for them to understand was that while they were used to the oppression of the Roman Empire, the persecution Jesus was referring to was solely because of their relationship with Him and belief in Him and could come from their fellow countrymen. The reason we can take joy in this kind of persecution comes from understanding how it is a direct reflection of our relationship with Him. If we were not becoming more like Him, no one would want to bring trials into our lives. It is that knowledge which should cause us to apply joy in the midst of persecution. We can apply joy because He will strengthen us for any battle we fight in His name. He is with us in every trial.
Making It Personal
Have you ever faced any persecution? How do you deal with people who oppose you because of your faith? Where can you apply joy in your life today?
Making It Personal Kids
Has anyone caused you issues because of your love of Jesus? How did you respond? How can you choose joy today?
Closing Prayer
Father, thank You for giving us a pure example of applying joy in persecution. We know You suffered in joy because it meant opening the door for our relationship with You. Help us see how choosing to apply joy to a situation helps us reflect You on a deeper level. In Jesus’ name, amen.
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