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Even If i Walk Alone

Instructing and encouraging you to live your life as a disciple of Jesus

happiness

The Joy of the Lord

September 28, 2020 by Tim Sherfy

Since the beginning days of the coronavirus and the drama that unfolded in the response to it, the racial tensions that began exploding soon after, and a crazed political environment, the world has seemed to have just gone mad. Every issue seems to polarize us, dividing friends, family, and most disturbingly the church. In a matter of months, what we considered the normalcy of life has been discarded. I’ve seen a lot of dramatic changes in my lifetime, but never ones that occurred so suddenly and were so divisive.

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I don’t know when or if this all ends, or what life looks like on the other side of this seemingly unending tunnel of darkness. But somehow, in the middle of all the chaos and uncertainty, I have found my joy of the Lord increasing. I am more aware of His presence than ever, and despite the anger and confusion swirling around me, I am at peace.

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Filed Under: Daily Life Tagged With: happiness, joy, mission, Nehemiah, priorities, the church

True Joy

December 10, 2018 by Tim Sherfy

There are times in life when joy is elusive. Note I said, joy, not happiness. Happiness is ever fleeting and, at least in my mind, not worth the pursuit. After all, we are called to be faithful, not happy. We are called to be obedient, not happy. But it is in obedience and faithfulness we will find true joy. So, when we find ourselves less than joyful, we should first check our obedience and faithfulness.

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Photo by MI PHAM on Unsplash

Put another way, we should determine where we have our focus. Joy should be inherent in the life of a disciple. Jesus, the source of all joy, lives within us. The closer we draw to Christ, the more joy we will have.

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Filed Under: Daily Life Tagged With: Discipleship, discouragement, happiness, joy, Psalms, pursuit

Joy in Contentment

June 29, 2017 by Tim Sherfy

There is immense joy in contentment. The trouble is, contentment can be hard to come by. Few people I’ve met seem content. When you ask how they are, rarely do you get a boisterous, even joyful, response. In fact, the typical “I’m fine” and “good” responses border on depressing and always leave me questioning their sincerity. Maybe I’m cynical because I know my own responses are typically half-hearted at best.

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image © makam1969 via Fotolia

Let’s be honest; the response of a disciple should never be anything less than an enthusiastic “fantastic”. Regardless of what’s happening in this current life, we have the promise of something far greater down the road. We can be presently miserable, but must never lose sight of how amazingly blessed and fortunate we are.

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Filed Under: Daily Life Tagged With: Ephesians, God's Kingdom, happiness, Job, John, joy, Kingdom of God

Holiness over Happiness

November 30, 2015 by Tim Sherfy

A vile disease has wormed its way into the hearts and minds of modern Christianity.  The teaching of “God wants you to be happy” is preached from pulpits across the nation regardless of the fact this principle is not found in Scripture. I don’t find anywhere where God said to “Be happy because I am happy”.  What I do find He says is to “Be holy because I am holy.” (1 Peter 1:15-16) There is a vast difference between holiness and what we equate with happiness.

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image © enterlinedesign via Fotolia

Before you get too depressed, know this: there is no joy like being obedient and faithful to Jesus Christ. Happiness is a fleeting emotion, counts for nothing, and fades as quickly as it came. Holiness lasts forever, counts for everything in the eyes of God, and is hard to shake once you’ve tasted its beauty.
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Filed Under: Daily Life Tagged With: goals, happiness, humility, I Peter, priorities, purpose

What Does God Ask of You?

March 26, 2015 by Tim Sherfy

francois fenelon,Luke 10:27,happiness,love,what does God ask of youimage © anyaberkut – Fotolia

François Fenelon wrote, “What does God ask of you, but to be happy? Have you not realized that we are happy in loving him? Have you not felt there is no other real happiness, whatever excitement might be found in sensual pleasures, apart from Him? Since you know where to find the Fountain of Life, and have once drunk of it, why would you seek foul, earthly cisterns?” It’s a great question. Once we have experienced the incredible love and goodness of God, why would we ever then be satisfied with the pale pleasures of this world that cannot compare in any way to the majesty and unparalleled beauty of Jesus?

[Read more…] about What Does God Ask of You?

Filed Under: Daily Life Tagged With: Fenelon, happiness, Love, Luke

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