It doesn’t matter that Jesus wasn’t born on December 25. What matters is that He was born! And when He came as a baby in Bethlehem, He brought gifts with Him. Two such gifts were confidence and joy, something we all need in times like ours, especially our brothers and sisters in the Middle East, France and here in California.
Fear is the opposite of confidence and joy. Fear of what others think and do or of what might happen can turn even the strongest into cowards and smiles into frowns. Joseph was “afraid to take Mary home” as his wife. We get our word phobia from this word fear. He was terrified at what could happen to him, Mary and the child.
Yet the answer to his fear was that very child, whom he was told to call Jesus or God saves and would be called Immanuel or God is with us. Joe was reminded of God’s promises. He was told that God would be with Him. He was told this child would save him and others from their sin.
These truths allowed him to exchange his fear with confidence and joy as he took Mary home. Ray Stedman wrote, “The chief mark of the Christian ought to be the absence of fear and the presence of joy.” Jesus is with you! In the “interesting” days in which we live, let confidence and joy truly reign in your thoughts, words and actions! You as well as those around you need to see Jesus in you.
S“E”t Free Nowww
More Than A Sunday Faith
“..the absence of fear and presence of joy.” I hate to be a rain cloud, but has Mr. Stedman lost a child? Ugh! This makes me a crazy person! I am feeling very little joy, but a fair amount of fear. Does that make me a non Christian? a bad Christian? This religious attitude really pisses me off. Funny thing is, i have people coming up to me and saying they see Jesus in me and my family. What the heck?!
Love the honesty and transparency! Cool on feeling fear. The point was that if fear is present, joy is not. Keep asking yourself, “What would I rather experience – joy or fear? I noticed you said, little joy and a fair amount of fear. Thus, you’re showing you’re in the process of becoming more like Jesus. People are seeing Jesus in you because of your statement that you’re experiencing a little joy, which should not be happening knowing all that you’ve gone through. Keep listening to Jesus tell you about who He is. Then take a walk with Him. As you stay on your journey to become more like Him, you’ll experience a fair amount of joy and little fear. And soon, it will be lots of joy and even less fear.