Hello and Happy Saturday! I’m sitting at a coffee shop with my husband typing this right now since our Internet is STILL out. Sad. Day. So, sorry I missed Friday Favorites yesterday…so much frustration. Anyways.
I was reading this morning in Acts again, and came across a verse I thought I would share instead of the usual Friday Favorites (seeing as it isn’t Friday anymore)…
“And the disciples were filled with JOY and with the Holy Spirit.”
Acts 13:52
Short and sweet. Prior to this verse, the disciples had just been rejected by many of the Jews in the cities they were speaking in—and had just been thrown out of one city in particular. You would expect them to feel sad or dejected in some way, but that was not the case. They didn’t allow the rejection to get them down, but instead were filled with the joy that only comes from the Holy Spirit.
They chose joy instead of discouragement.
Now, they were aware that rejection would come with preaching the gospel of Christ, and were prepared to deal with it. Not everyone they met was going to accept their message. They chose not to let the rejection bother them—doing so wouldn’t have helped them very much.
Likewise, it’s important for us to remain joyful in all things we do—even when it’s not easy. Sharing the good news of Christ isn’t always easy, and, like the disciples, we need to be prepared for rejection. We need to be prepared for it, and choose in advance not to let it bother us. Instead of focusing on the rejection and allowing yourself to become discouraged, allow the Holy Spirit to fill you with the overwhelming joy that only He can bring.
Are you facing rejection or discouragement today? Remember that many have felt the same way you do, and choose to rely on the Holy Spirit to bring you joy in the midst of discouraging situations.
Hope you all are having a great weekend! I’ll be back on Monday, hopefully with working Internet again! Ha.
God Bless:)