Joyful Love: Overcoming Indifference with Kindness
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"Christian joy is rooted in Christ, who he is, what he's done, and that joy cannot be taken. It has a deeper, stronger anchor than any other joy. No one will take your joy from you, Jesus said. In fact, this deep unshakable joy that's not dependent on external circumstances like being waved at or being insulted but is anchored in the all-satisfying Christ, same yesterday, today, and forever." [00:03:00]
"Our joy is anchored in unchangeable glory. We rejoice in the hope of the glory of God, Romans 5:2. Therefore, even when we are sorrowful, which is real for Christians, even when we are sorrowful, for example, at being rejected by our neighbors, Paul says we are sorrowful, yet always rejoicing, II Corinthians 6:10." [00:04:05]
"Those unsociable, even hostile neighbors might feel to you like a thorn in your flesh, but here's what Paul says about thorns in his flesh. When he asked Jesus to take the thorn away, and I'm sure you have asked that, Jesus responded, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.'" [00:04:29]
"The strategy of returning ignoring for ignoring or insult for insult is not going to work, period. No, that's not the way Jesus designed for you to protect your joy. We do it, I know the feeling, I just run away from those things that take my joy. No, that's not the solution." [00:06:06]
"If love is at stake, just the opposite. If you join them in their strategies, the reward you will get is the pleasures they get, and you'll hear Jesus say, 'You have your reward,' and that's that. Of course, there is a kind of pleasure in returning insult for insult and ignoring for ignoring." [00:06:31]
"When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure; when slandered, we entreat. Or he might say, when ignored, we smile and wave. Now, how can that be a strategy for joy? Because Jesus said in Acts 20:35, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'" [00:07:11]
"These greetings and other little kindnesses that you may do thanklessly may feel to you like throwing money down a rat hole, but if you manifest the compassion of Christ and the steadfast goodwill of Christ over time, what might happen is that when crisis or tragedy strikes one of your neighbors, you may be the one they turn to." [00:10:18]
"Be alert to the moment when they're not so cocky because all is going well. Instead, they're hurting because something terrible just happened in their lives, and then they may turn to you because you may seem to them to be somebody who might care. Who knows how many small evidences of grace like greetings become the very thing, the door through which they might welcome you into their lives." [00:10:40]
"Let me just add one more practical suggestion. These greetings and other little kindnesses that you may do thanklessly may feel to you like throwing money down a rat hole, but if you manifest the compassion of Christ and the steadfast goodwill of Christ over time, what might happen is that when crisis or tragedy strikes one of your neighbors, you may be the one they turn to." [00:10:18]
"Don't grow weary in well-doing, and the more your neighbors feel like enemies, the more you should love them the way Jesus said, and one of those ways is greeting. If you only greet those who greet you, how are you acting like a son of God and not just like everybody else?" [00:09:46]
"Paul absolutely would not let thorns rob him of his joy. All the more gladly will I boast in my weaknesses. I am content with insults, with neighbors who ignore me or ridicule me. That's a miracle. We've got to pray for that miracle in our lives. So yes, yes, yes, don't let anyone rob you of your Christ-exalting joy." [00:05:51]
"Jesus illustrates what he means by love your enemies with this sentence: If you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? That conversation was over, like greeting your enemy as you pass him on the street with a smile and a hello is not exactly your great social issue of the day." [00:09:17]
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"Our joy is anchored in unchangeable glory. We rejoice in the hope of the glory of God, Romans 5:2. Therefore, even when we are sorrowful, which is real for Christians, even when we are sorrowful, for example, at being rejected by our neighbors, Paul says we are sorrowful, yet always rejoicing, II Corinthians 6:10." [00:04:05]
"Those unsociable, even hostile neighbors might feel to you like a thorn in your flesh, but here's what Paul says about thorns in his flesh. When he asked Jesus to take the thorn away, and I'm sure you have asked that, Jesus responded, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.'" [00:04:29]
"The strategy of returning ignoring for ignoring or insult for insult is not going to work, period. No, that's not the way Jesus designed for you to protect your joy. We do it, I know the feeling, I just run away from those things that take my joy. No, that's not the solution." [00:06:06]
"If love is at stake, just the opposite. If you join them in their strategies, the reward you will get is the pleasures they get, and you'll hear Jesus say, 'You have your reward,' and that's that. Of course, there is a kind of pleasure in returning insult for insult and ignoring for ignoring." [00:06:31]
"When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure; when slandered, we entreat. Or he might say, when ignored, we smile and wave. Now, how can that be a strategy for joy? Because Jesus said in Acts 20:35, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'" [00:07:11]
"These greetings and other little kindnesses that you may do thanklessly may feel to you like throwing money down a rat hole, but if you manifest the compassion of Christ and the steadfast goodwill of Christ over time, what might happen is that when crisis or tragedy strikes one of your neighbors, you may be the one they turn to." [00:10:18]
"Be alert to the moment when they're not so cocky because all is going well. Instead, they're hurting because something terrible just happened in their lives, and then they may turn to you because you may seem to them to be somebody who might care. Who knows how many small evidences of grace like greetings become the very thing, the door through which they might welcome you into their lives." [00:10:40]
"Let me just add one more practical suggestion. These greetings and other little kindnesses that you may do thanklessly may feel to you like throwing money down a rat hole, but if you manifest the compassion of Christ and the steadfast goodwill of Christ over time, what might happen is that when crisis or tragedy strikes one of your neighbors, you may be the one they turn to." [00:10:18]
"Don't grow weary in well-doing, and the more your neighbors feel like enemies, the more you should love them the way Jesus said, and one of those ways is greeting. If you only greet those who greet you, how are you acting like a son of God and not just like everybody else?" [00:09:46]
"Paul absolutely would not let thorns rob him of his joy. All the more gladly will I boast in my weaknesses. I am content with insults, with neighbors who ignore me or ridicule me. That's a miracle. We've got to pray for that miracle in our lives. So yes, yes, yes, don't let anyone rob you of your Christ-exalting joy." [00:05:51]
"Jesus illustrates what he means by love your enemies with this sentence: If you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? That conversation was over, like greeting your enemy as you pass him on the street with a smile and a hello is not exactly your great social issue of the day." [00:09:17]
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