One of the most important tenets of the Christian faith is love. To love God above all and to love each other. Through love, we find joy — to give and receive love, is in essence, a hold-all for everything good.
What are the good things we aspire to? We strive to be kind and giving. We try our best to be warm and helpful and to share and uplift others. We seek to do good and to improve the lives of others. In all of these things, there is something bringing all of these beautiful traits, acts and habits to fruition: love.
By feeling love for others and by having a pure, glorious love for God, we want to be good…we want to do good…we want everyone to be healthy and happy. The very nature of these “wants,” is love and that love lets joy bubble to the surface. After all, by wanting to bring these good things to life for all of us, we feel good inside — we tingle with joy and that feeling of joy, stems from love.
“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” – Hebrews 10:24-25
Let us consider how to stir one up one another to love and good works…in other words, give it serious thought. Let the desire for us to love each other and to help each other to do good works, be real and accepted…want it, think on it, let it become part of you and then, being inspired and filled with joy, go forth and stir it up in others.
This for me is one of the most valuable teachings in Christianity: that the desire to be good and to do good is borne out of love and wanting to please God — and while it is not just about doing good works, because we all know that we must have true faith, we must also do good, as both are required.
“What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead…” – James 2:14-26
I take this to mean that we can have faith, but if we don’t do good works, which is love, then we really don’t have true faith. To have a true, deep faith, means to whole hardheartedly desire to be good and do good…which is love.
That’s why Christianity is so beautiful — it is rooted in love, kindness, generosity, compassion, forgiveness and ultimately, in joy. When you sit and talk with many Christians, you find that we have a very real passion for wanting to share peace and joy to all — deep down, we desire goodness. To bring that out and into action, I think it means that we all have to let go of the negatives — let go of anger, jealously, bitterness and revenge. In their place, put in love, compassion, understanding, friendship and forgiveness.
Christianity is a faith meant to celebrate. A faith of peace, happiness and eternity. Joy is at the core of our faith, and its my hope that all Christians come together to stir one another to love, so that we may all experience and share the beauty of joy.
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” — Romans 15:13
