THURSDAY, APRIL 23
“Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon.”
Philippians 4:5 (NLT2)
JOY WITH OTHERS
It is said that when the British and French were fighting in Canada in the 1750s, Admiral Phipps, commander of the British fleet, was told to anchor outside Quebec. He was given orders to wait for the British land forces to arrive, then support them when they attacked the city. Phipps’ navy arrived early. As the admiral waited, he became annoyed by the statues of the saints that adorned the towers of a nearby cathedral, so he commanded his men to shoot at them with the ships’ cannons. No one knows how many rounds were fired or how many statues were knocked out, but when the land forces arrived and the signal was given to attack, the admiral was of no help. He had used up all his ammunition shooting at the “saints.”
A couple of the members of the church in Philippi had been shooting each other when Paul wrote the book of Philippians. Part of Paul’s remedy was for them to rejoice in the Lord and for that joy to spill over into their relationship with each other. He believed if we were joyful it would turn into a consideration for others that everyone could see.
Mike reminded us on Sunday that it’s impossible to be full of self and full of joy at the same time. Anyone who has young kids knows the experience of that child trying to hold a gallon of milk and fill their own cup. Inevitably, that kid is going to overflow that cup and it’s going to spill and get everywhere. In the same way, God wants us to be so full of joy that it gets everywhere and affects every relationship we have in a positive way.
Who has spilled joy on you recently? Who have you spilled joy on recently? Pray about someone in your life right now who needs a little or your joy to spill over onto them.
