Complete Joy

"We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard,

so that you also may have fellowship with us.

And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son,

Jesus Christ.

We write this to make our joy complete."

1 John 1:3-4

She can't keep a secret to save her life.  If she has some good news, I can see it written all over her face.  Soon, the words begin to flow, bursting forth like a volcano of joy and before I know it, I am sharing in her elation.

We should all be like my friend.  There is no reason to keep the things I have seen and heard regarding Jesus to myself.  Instead, the body of Christ benefits when I tell others what I have witnessed.

Share

I have a friend from a foreign culture.  There is not much with which we can relate; she is Muslim while I follow Jesus. She eats with her hands as is her country's custom while I prefer utensils.  She enjoys decorating her home with formal decor while I like a more homey motif.  

Even though we don't have much on which to base our friendship, there is one place where we can share a common interest: gardening.  We both enjoy growing flowers,trees, shrubs, and vegetables and share in each other's enthusiasm for our work.

In the same way that gardening draws my friend and I together, the common bond of faith in Jesus does the same for believers.   It doesn't matter from where each member of the body of Christ comes, we each have experiences where God demonstrates His love, power and sovereignty in our lives.  When I share these testimonies with others, it brings the body together to meet on common ground where we can all praise our Father in heaven.

When I tell others what God has done in my life, the body of believers shares in my joy.

One

My husband and I used to own a tandem bike.  When we first started riding it, it was hard for me to get used to sitting in the rear position where I couldn't steer.  Another adjustment I had to make from all my years of riding a regular bicycle was that if my husband pedaled, I had to pedal and if he coasted, I couldn't keep pushing but I had to take a break as well.  After a bit of practice, my husband and I were able to ride as one.

In the same way that two people can come together to ride a bike, so I have been invited into a similar kind of partnership with Jesus. (1 Corinthians 1:9) When I let Him lead, set the pace, choose the direction and pathway, I learn to walk beside Him.  Soon I will begin to see evidence of my communion with Him, kind of like the forward progress I experienced when I let my hubby lead on the two-seater bike.

As I tell others how God is working in my life, they will see the benefits of staying connected to Jesus and be inspired to do the same.  (John 15)  Instead of forging my own way, for instance, I tell how God opened doors I never noticed before. (Proverbs 16:9)  Where I used to work so hard to do the right thing, I can tell about how following Jesus is a more peaceful and less complicated way to live.  (Matthew 11:30)  In the place of following an impossible set of rules and traditions, I can tell how my relationship with Christ has set me free.  (Romans 8:2)

When I tell others others what God has done in my life, it is evidence of my communion with Him.

Complete

The Lord has geographically separated the family of my youth, much to my mother's dismay.  As she laments over the distance between her children's homes, I keep in mind it is always her heart's desire to see her children and their families all gathered in one place.  This kind of reunion makes her joy complete.

In the same way, our joy as believers is fulfilled when we see the work of God's hand corporately.  It does begin with each of our separate relationships with our Father and how we each work out that gift of salvation in our own life, but none of us are an island unto itself.  Instead, we are part of a bigger picture.  There is something about coming together as believers that opens up more insight and understanding, gives clarity to a situation and results in praise to our Father in heaven.

I am not a lone Ranger.  Instead, I am one soldier in an entire army of faith warriors who are fighting as one body to live for Christ; to love where there is no love, to shine light into the darkness, and to hope where there seems to be none.  There is power when we come together and seek His will.

When I tell others what God has done in my life, it completes the picture by providing the missing piece that only I was given.

Good news is meant to be shared!  There is no reason for me to keep God's mighty works under wraps.  Instead, when I reveal the work of His mighty hand, it draws the body of Christ together, gives evidence of my relationship with Him, and completes the joy of His people.  It is my desire to build up the body of Christ by freely speaking of His goodness.

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can remember my connection with my brothers and sisters in Christ.

How do I tend to behave like an individual instead of a piece of the whole?

When do I focus on the struggle instead of looking for evidence of my relationship with God that I can then share with others?