How many times have you heard that your joy should be unconditional? That you should be happy no matter what happens? They say, “If somebody wins and you lose, just be happy anyway.“ They say, “If somebody has more than you, at least be happy for them.” They say, “Even if your life is hard right now, just be happy and praise the Lord regardless of what’s going on.”
Well, I’m here to tell you that all those things are totally incorrect. The Lord wants your joy to be CONDITIONAL on whether you win, on how much you have, and on how good your circumstances are. Biblical, godly, new covenant joy is based on how many possessions you have. Jesus actually refers to His possessions (His glory) as “joy” (implying that these things are the source of happiness).
Matthew 25:21 (NKJV) Enter into the joy of your lord.
The reason why you can be happy is BECAUSE you’ve beat every obstacle in this world through Jesus. You can be happy BECAUSE you’re as rich as the Father Himself. You can be happy because, despite what you may think, your circumstances have never been better as a believer. And why should you be happy otherwise? All that’s left is to learn how good you have it! Your joy should be conditional.
1 John 1:4 (NKJV) And these things we write to you [about what you have in Christ] that your joy may be full.
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