The virtues of Christian Character

The importance of being Joyful

“Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no-one thinks of changing himself.” (Leo Tolstoy)

Acts 17:28 reads, “For in Him we live and move and have our being.” Literally, “In Christ we live and move and are.” In Christ you can’t hide behind a religious mask - you just are! Notice, who, what and where you are in Christ is important. And in this context, it is a call to Christ like character. Character cannot be transferred it can only be earned, and true character is not revealed through what you “do” (by human effort), but rather by what you’ve become (who you are).

Talking of salvation for the gentiles, in Isaiah 56:6-7, the Lord declares, “Also the sons of the foreigner who join themselves to the Lord, to serve Him, and to love the name of the Lord, to be His servants... Even them I will bring to My holy mountain, and make them joyful in My house.” God has gathered you into His fold and you have been made joyful - this is what you are! Being joyful in God’s house is a true and exact representation of what God has made you to be.

But this characteristic isn’t meant for church life alone, the apostle Paul said, “I am filled with comfort. I am exceedingly joyful in all our misfortunes” [2 Corinthians 7:4].

It’s often so easy to be joyful when in the presence of God, however, the acid test of true character is whether you, as a believer, can be joyful in suffering, heartbreak or misfortune. Philippians 4:4 says, “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I say, rejoice!” To rejoice is to “show great joy,” or “to be exceedingly joyful.” You are expected to be exceedingly joyful in the Lord - always! This is because, in Him you live and move and have your being. In fact, it is where you are positioned - the true “state” you occupy.

You live in the joy of the Lord and the joy of the Lord lives in you. You move in the joy of the Lord and the joy of the Lord moves in you. You have your very being positioned in the joy of the Lord and the joy of the Lord manifests in your very being! Joy should be as natural to you as breathing.

Chris Demetriou, 03/05/2010