Devotion: Finding Great Joy
Finding Great Joy
Please take a moment to read Luke 2:8-11
“Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people…’”
I have to admit, I’m horrible to shop for – at least this is what my kids tell me as they prepare for Christmas. I guess this is true, as I have a really hard time even coming up with a list each year. Sigh! Talk about a first-world problem!
The struggle with Christmas is that it is so geared toward enjoyment. I know that I’m not very good at personal enjoyment. I’m always busy. I’m generally an optimist and happy! I even feel like I pursue the things that bring me lasting joy! But having toys and stuff to enjoy? Meh…
In my sermon on Sunday, I told the story of Ron King, a former top advertising executive who created a donkey sanctuary. After his career crashed, he bonded with these emotionally intelligent animals. In an interview, Ron said, “I had this moment when I realized that there are things that I enjoy, and things that bring me joy.”
Ron’s phrase gave me the language to what I’ve always sort of known about myself. Understanding the nuance between enjoyment and lasting, spiritual joy is key to connecting with the Advent proclamation. When the angel said to the shepherds, “I bring you good news of great joy” they were not talking about enjoyment! They were talking about the coming of Jesus, and the glorious love he would bring.
So how are you preparing for the holidays? Perhaps you could work more on joy than on what could be enjoyed? Prepare your heart for the gift of love in this world, which is the glorious love of Jesus.
Gracious God, give us the wisdom to look beyond the things of this world. Give us the desire to connect with your love. Give us a heart of service. And help us to make a space for your joy in our hearts. Amen.
Written by Pastor Greg Bouvier
Pastor Greg heard God’s call to Sheridan in 1999 and that began a journey which has become his life’s work. Having played a variety of roles as pastor of Sheridan, Pastor Greg was called as the Senior Pastor in 2011. He leads the staff and his primary focus is on the creation of culture, the overall direction of worship and partnering with our amazing team. Pastor Greg has been married to Rose for more than 30 years and together they have two servant-hearted grown children.