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Choose to Rejoice

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Years ago I was listening to a woman on the radio program. She was reading Galatians 5 where it says, “The fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control. Against such things there is no law.”

Then this woman said, “You know, there is no law against too much love. There is no law against too much joy… and so on and so on.”

That simple thought really struck me. Think about that for a moment – there is no law against too much joy! We are told by the Lord to rejoice. Even in bad times, the potential for joy is there, because the Spirit of God is within us.

Philippians 4 says, “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I say, rejoice!” It’s a choice, yes! Sometimes it’s a difficult choice, but we can rejoice because the blessed Holy Spirit, who produces joy, lives within us.

So, what does this have to do with evangelism? Everything! A joyful spirit is what makes followers of Jesus stand out from the rest of the crowd.

As you and I choose to rejoice ‘always,’ no matter what the circumstances, we are setting ourselves apart. We are letting the light of Christ, the joy of Christ, shine through our situation. By choosing to rejoice, we can be powerful witnesses to those in need of the Savior’s joy.

A Valuable Lesson

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Bert and his wife, Colleen, have been missionaries in Peru for 56 years! They have had their own method of planting churches. They would go to a village in the mountains or on the coast, maybe along the river. They preached the Good News there for three or four nights and then went on to the next village.

Bert told me, “I think we learned one very valuable lesson: that our absence from those churches was as important as our presence.” They would come back in three months and the village would be up in arms about some theological issue. So they would find out what the problem was and give them the teaching they needed for that.

They didn’t stop anywhere for more than a month. They sowed the seeds and it worked. They might not have done things “by the book,” but God has worked tremendously through their efforts in Peru.

Sometimes our absence can make people realize God’s presence in us, and their need for Him. Jesus says in John chapter 12, “I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.” Keep on shining the light of Christ even today. He will change people through you, in your presence and in your absence!