Christ is joy and joy is Christ

I'm so happy my joy is not found in earthly pleasures. My bank account and my health and even my college GPA do not determine my happiness because I have a greater joy, Christ. I started a study on the book of I John today. I love I John... I love how his writing is usually simple yet personable. The first 4 verses is all I read today. I didn't know what to look for at the start of this Bible study. I really wanted a fuller understanding of the book and I really didn't know how much I was going to get out of studying this small book. I've read these verses plenty of times before and I had learned from them in the past. The awesome part about today is that I learned more about my Savior than I knew yesterday.

The gospel is central to our lives. John starts out writing stating the gospel. The word of life... obviously this is Christ. He is the word (John 1:1) and he gives life (John 14:6)... put them together and you have the total authority on life. John and a lot of the people he was writing to saw Christ first hand. They literally saw Christ and heard him speak and even touched him. John was proclaiming this man to them. John wanted more than anything for others to be able to have this joy that he had that was only found in Christ. He wanted to have perfect fellowship with those he came into contact with. John knew the hope that is found in Christ and wanted to share it.

The only way to be joyful is to be in fellowship with the word of life. He has given his life so we can have the opportunity to have this fellowship with him. I am only joyful when my eyes and eyes are fixed on the Savior. He is my Lord, my master, and now I am his slave. Its a loaded word but Christ gave his life for me... shouldn't my response be to give him my life? "I'd rather have Jesus than anything this world affords today", I love the words to this hymn. I want Jesus... I want joy. Christ is joy and joy is Christ.