“I press on” – from dioko – means properly, aggressively chase, like a hunter pursuing a catch (prize); to earnestly pursue; to pursue with all haste.
What Makes for Joy? – blog 11/15/24
How can it be that a person can suffer but still have joy? The simple answer is that a person whose focus is on others instead of self is the person whose focus is on the purpose of their suffering rather than the pain it entails.
What Makes for Joy? – blog 11/15/24
A good way to think about joy is to view it as an acronym; “J” for “Jesus”, “O” for “others”, and “Y” for “you”. He said the order is very important if you’re ever to understand what joy is and where it comes from. If Jesus comes first in your order of priorities, followed by others, and then, finally, yourself, you have a good chance of partaking in authentic joy. However, if you have the acronym backwards (as many Christians do), joy will evade you.
There’s tremendous value in having ‘spiritual mass’ (aka lots of Bible doctrine in your soul) and having ‘spiritual velocity’ (aka running with haste to win the race); however, you must have BOTH to enjoy ‘spiritual momentum’ that ensures maturity, stability, and maximum peace in life. The hallmark of a mature person is wisdom and a joy set before them to bear their own cross.
To avoid being distracted and drawn away from our assurance of faith, we must remain focused on Christ and those who have been witnesses to Him (ala Heb 12:1). We must avoid the trappings of this world and all those Hell-bent on sowing doubt and taking us away for a season.
For a true believer in Christ, possessing an ‘assurance of faith’ is a wonderfully settling, heartfelt reality.
