THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24
For few adults and too many children, life is not all peaches and cream. We have hardships, heartaches and trials. So, when the Bible tells us to rejoice, what are we to do? Fake it till we make it? Christian joy does not depend on happenstance like happiness does. From the Old Testament (for example, Isaiah 61:1-3) through the New, joy comes to us even in the midst of suffering. Our joy is that, in the midst of darkness, we also see light. In the midst of our troubles, we see God’s grace working in us, through us, and around us. If we have the eyes to see God’s graces in our world, we have a joy undefeated by our suffering.
