Joy---The REAL Thing!

            Have you had your Joy Juice today?  It’s the “real thing”!  Can we say that about ourselves?

When people look at you and me, do they see someone who is genuine, transparent and real?

The truth is that many times we put on our masks and we show others only what we want them to see.  We may be able to fool people sometimes, but God sees the REAL us.   I’m sure that many times I disappoint Him by saying one thing, yet doing another; by teaching a lesson on Sunday and not living it out during the week; by telling you to be patient and then losing my cool! None of us is perfect, that’s for sure!  But are we striving to be our best for Christ…or are we just playing the “game”?  

                None of us want to be called a hypocrite! But if we “preach” one thing and live another, isn’t that what we’re being? I guess we all fall into that category at one time or another.   Beth Moore says: “Sometimes it’s easier to act than clean up our act!”

What’s the remedy for this “spiritual condition” called hypocrisy?   A steady diet of JOY in the Lord…which is filled with spiritual nutrients reminding us that God loves us.  When we accept our real value in Him, we can be “the real thing”.  He loves us and wants us to love each other sincerely.  "Let love be genuine;” as Paul teaches in Romans 12:9.

                God’s joy gives us strength to face whatever may come our way….with a genuine heart of gratitude, love and JOY!