“I will gladly spend myself and all I have for you, even though it seems that the more I love you, the less you love me.” (2 Corinthians 12:15 NLT)
The word Paul used in the verse above that is translated “gladly” is a superlative that could also be translated “very gladly” or “most gladly.” It’s the kind of attitude that could have surprised his Corinthian friends considering, at least from Paul’s perspective, their seeming lackluster response to him. Of course, that could have, and likely was, more a reflection of his own emotional state at the time but is too often very reflective of our attitude as we interact with those we’re seeking to influence for the Lord.
Too often I find myself reluctant to share with someone about the joy of the Lord because I’m not feeling very joyful myself in that moment, but, gratefully, I’m learning that I can’t be dependent upon how I feel emotionally or even physically in any given moment to guide me in how I need to respond to others. The fact is, as the Prophet Nehemiah reminds us: “The joy of the Lord is your strength.” Strength grows out of joy, not joy out of strength.
There is a certain contagion about joy when it’s truly a reflection of the Lord’s presence in our life. It’s like a quiet strength that permeates the atmosphere wherever the Lord leads us. It isn’t dependent upon the circumstances around us or even in us, it simply trusts the Lord to gain glory and honor through us, not because of who we are, but because of who He IS and what He’s doing in our life.
Where do you find yourself today? Living gladly isn’t a decision we make based on how we feel in any given moment or how things are going in this season of our life, it’s a determination of our heart and mind based on the leadership of the Lord in our life. The Lord doesn’t just lead on the good days, but every day. Paul encourages us as he writes in 2 Corinthians 3:18: “So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord – who is the Spirit – makes us more and more like Him as we are changed into His glorious image.”
Pastor John Piper wrote: “If you live gladly to make others glad in God, your life will be hard, your risks will be high, and your joy will be full.” We want to believe the more faithful and productive we are for the Lord the more peaceful, happy, and easier our life will be, but that’s not how it works. Satan doesn’t bother you unless you’re making waves in his kingdom, so, if you’re not sensing any opposition from the enemy, you need to wonder why that is.
Let me close with this powerful prayer from my friend, Ray Majoran: “God of perfect wisdom, You do all things well; no purpose of Yours can fail. Your ways are higher than our ways, and Your judgments are deeper than our understanding (Isaiah 55:8-9). You formed the world by wisdom and established it by Your understanding (Jeremiah 10:12); You remain righteous in every work of Your hand. As we consider what You have made, teach us to stand before You with reverence and trust.
We confess that we often want a life that can be explained, managed, and straightened by our own insight. Yet You are God, and we are not. When You appoint seasons that feel tangled, painful, or difficult to understand, keep us from resisting Your hand in our pride. Give us the kind of wisdom that receives Your providence with trust, knowing that whatever You do endures forever, and nothing can be added to it or taken from it (Ecclesiastes 3:14). Where our hearts are restless for control, remind us to be still before You (Psalm 46:10).
By the power of Your Spirit, form us into people who fear You more than we fear uncertainty. Teach us to obey what You have revealed and trust You with what You have not. When life feels bent in ways we cannot change, keep us near to Christ, in whom all things hold together (Colossians 1:17). May our lives bear the shape of true wisdom: reverent before You, patient in hardship, and faithful in what You have appointed.”
Food for thought.
Blessings, Ed 😊
Walking With Jesus 