What is the source of your joy?

It is not something to be proud of, but many have found joy in the fleeting offerings of this world that can, in no way, grant salvation or ensure eternal life.

According to a Family Life Ministries director of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, Pearline Ellis, we are blindsided by the things of the world, which makes it easier for us to welcome instant gratification than to strengthen faith into that which was promised but has not yet been delivered.

"Gold and silver will decay, but let us remember that we have a responsibility to save ourselves and save others. Even if you are going through your fiery trials - whatever is happening to you - we must still give God praise, because He is the one who made us, and He knows what is going to happen to us."

She added that while some Christians and non-Christians try desperately to fill a void through the acquisition of material things, only doing work the Lord has called us to will offer true happiness.

"True happiness, from a biblical point of view, is happiness that comes through faith and hope. If we are in church worshipping God, we should be happy on the Lord's day, worshipping Him in spirit and in truth. Faces shouldn't be long, and when a sister greets you, you can barely reply. It means you are not happy, and you may want to be somewhere else.

"If you should pass on right now, what would happen to you when the trumpet sounds? Will you come up glorifying God or will you be thinking about all the problems and what other persons have done to you?"

HAPPINESS OUTSIDE THE CHURCH

According to Ellis, it seems those who are outside of the church are happier than those inside the church.

"When I pass people on the streets they look so happy doing business there. Why is it that when you are in church you can't be happy for a God who gave you life? If you come with all the struggles for the week, how can you be happy? How can you praise God at church when you don't praise Him at home, in the workplace, and you don't tell anybody about Him? We need to talk more about Jesus."

One cannot deny how beautifully the world is painted and handed to us by those who find happiness in it. But will it matter it in the end?

"You must know who you are and what you stand for. At the end of it all, we are going to be called up individually - we are all missionaries; the Lord has called us to do a work. Don't look on another brother and sister. Only in doing this work will you find joy and happiness"

She continued, "We need to live for Jesus Christ. Only He can give us great joy and no one can tell you about it; you have to experience it for yourself. We are not worthy of Christ, but because of His grace and His mercy, we are here today. And no matter what your tribulations are, if you have joy in Jesus, you are going to find a reason to smile. We can experience joy - true unspeakable joy - by having faith in Jesus. And not even Satan can take away that gift of joy," she ended.

- T.B.