Chapter 14: Finding a Holy Joy
Read the first paragraph of the chapter, regarding “falling
in love with God,” together. Do
you feel that, at this stage of your spiritual journey, you are overwhelmed
with the joy of loving God? Have you replaced the possibility for joy with
spiritual development?
Has the message of the Gospels, that God loved you so
much that he sent his only begotten Son, transformed your life? If not, how have you responded to this
message?
What does being in love with God look like?
On pages 198-199, Barnes says, “God has always reserved his
greatest judgment for those who remain indifferent – and who think God is
indifferent.” Barnes refers to
Revelation 3:16, in which God tells the Laodiceans, “So, because you are lukewarm--neither hot nor cold--I am about
to spit you out of my mouth.” And, he says on page 200, “Spiritual apathy leaves the worst
lukewarm taste in the mouth of a passionate God.” Are we guilty of indifference, apathy, and “lukewarm-ness”
as a response to the incredible message of the Gospels?
Barnes proposes three ways of finding a Holy Joy:
1) Living
with Gratitude
2) Loving
God with reckless abandon
(p.
202): When it comes to things such
as health and morality, being careful is
pretty important, but there are other times when it is not as wise – like when
we are trying to enter the kingdom of heaven.”
3) Having
Hope
(p.
206): Of course we do not always
get what we really want – but that does not
mean that we dare give up the joy of having hope. We are a people who must
have hope. Not just because it
makes us feel good, but, more profoundly,
because God is involved in this world.
The most powerful illustration
of this truth can be seen in his coming to be with us in Jesus Christ.”
What do you think? If you haven’t already found a Holy
Joy, can you make some changes to live this life?
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