Written by Fabiola de Gómez, Iron Rose Sister Volunteer in Colombia.
My dog, Joy, is always with me. She came into our home six years ago and as her name says, she has brought us a lot of joy! She always wants to be by my side. So much so, that I bump into her several times a day and even more if I feel sad, sick, or down.
Joy reminds me of the joy that is always in us – the joy that comes from the Holy Spirit. But this inner joy is sometimes disturbed or silenced by the voice of my worries, anxieties, sadness, or anger. It is in those moments that I ask myself, where is my joy? It is easier for me to feel I have joy when things are “calm and under control”. But what happens when they are not? Those moments are the ones that most test where my confidence truly lies.
In this last year, due to the global pandemic, I could say that for many of us things were out of our control. Perhaps this caused our moods to be affected and at certain moments, our joy to be silenced by the pressures and difficulties of external circumstances.
This causes me to look at Jesus and wonder, how did he do it? Even in the midst of the most difficult moments of His life, His joy was still intact. Despite the anguish, sadness, and pain He experienced, He did not refuse to bear the burden of the cross. We see Him tell Peter in Matthew 16:23 (NIV) “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”
Jesus maintained His joy because His gaze was fixed on the reward. As Hebrews 12:2 (NIV) says, “…for the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of God.” Jesus shows me where my gaze should be so that joy will be a constant in my life. Doing this is what allows us as Christians to live out the Scripture that says: “rejoice always” (1 Thess. 5:16, NIV) and “consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.” (James 1:2-3,NIV)
By looking at the example of Jesus, we can understand that when we value trials for what they add to our faith and not for what they take from us, we can fully experience the utmost joy in their midst. So now I can say: Joy is always with me.
Sisters, let us walk with our eyes fixed on Jesus so that our hearts are not discouraged. When moments of difficulty come and you feel your joy is silenced or disturbed, ask yourself, where is my gaze fixed?