True Joy

by Mason Naffziger

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Romans 15:13

When I was ten years old, I got a muskie fishing pole for Christmas because I caught a muskie at a state park that my family had been camping at for generations. It was my first muskie that I had ever caught, and it measured 33 ½ inches long. Only a half inch shy of keeping it at the time, so we had to release it. It was so exciting and disappointing at the same time. Fast forward 20 years, and I have never caught a single musky on that fishing pole. In fact, I was at the same camp this summer, and I was chopping some branches on a tree that the pole was leaning up against it. It fell, and I chopped it right in half by accident! I was absolutely crushed that I chopped it in half because it was such a special pole of mine that I have had for over 20 years.  I put a lot of value on that fishing pole, and in all reality, it was just a fishing pole… It was a distraction from Christ for me.  

During the Christmas season, it is easy for us to get focused on the gifts that we get, the family traditions, the food, and things that draw our attention away from Christ. I know it is the classic Christmas cliché to say that we need to think about Jesus more on Christmas, but WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT JESUS and Jesus is who brings us true joy. It was easy for me to get wrapped up in the happiness that fishing pole brought me, but happiness is temporary, and joy in Christ is everlasting. 

True joy and peace can only be found in our Heavenly Father. We are filled with hope because we have a Savior that was brought into this world to die for our sins. When we put our trust in Him, all those sins are forgiven! That is something to be joyful about! When we find hope, joy, and peace as we trust in Him, it overflows to others! That is to me what Christmas is about.  I would challenge you to think about where you find your joy? It’s easy to say the church answer (Jesus) but instead reflect on where your heart is as we go into this season. Are you just giving gifts because it is the right thing to do? Or is it out of the joy of your heart for others? As we go into this season of giving, let us remember that we have the God of hope that gave us his one and only Son. What a blessing that is!

Merry Christmas everyone!