Joy

4 And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete. 1 John 1:4

Can you remember a time you got to hold a newborn baby in your arms? Can you remember or imagine the moment you will get to hold your very own baby in your arms for the first time? It might make you wonder what that precious new child will be like when they grow up or what all they will get to do in their lives. After all, they are only a baby- there are so many new experiences ahead of them!
Holding that baby might even make you excited to teach them about life yourself! You might think of all the experiences you could show them someday, all of the adventures you could take them on, all of the interesting facts you could teach them. This kind of daydreaming of all the happiness that the baby might someday get to experience probably fills you yourself with a lot of joy and excitement!
This is similar to the kind of joy that John is talking about in vs. 4. It’s as if John is telling us, “Hey, I’m writing you a letter that will teach you about a man that completely changed my life: Jesus. Nothing makes me happier than thinking about you receiving the same joy that He brought me!” John is so completely thrilled by his own experience of learning the good news that the possibility of more people experiencing the same thing gives him joy. Because when others come to know the good news and more people enter into our fellowship of Christians, how can we feel anything other than pure joy?

Questions for discussion and reflection
1. What is an experience you’ve had that you wish everyone could share?
2. Does the gospel of Christ give you that kind of joy?

Dear God, we pray for the genuine feeling of joy that John received when telling others about the Good News of Jesus Christ. Thank You, Jesus, for the privilege of being invited into this kind of joy and calling. Amen.