April 4, 2018
1 John 1:1-4…“We are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.” vs. 4
Those familiar with the different social media platforms know all about sharing. Anytime we see a photo or an article that we like, we can hit “share” and immediately all our friends and contacts will see what we’ve seen–and sometimes they’ll even “like” what we have sent. The writer of First John didn’t have the capacity to pass on ideas via smart phones and personal computers, but he certainly understood the importance of sharing. In his community, the good news that Jesus was the Christ, the Word of God, had brought unity and peace. Believers had experienced hope and forgiveness in unprecedented ways as they regularly celebrated the new life that knowing Jesus had brought them. And now it was time to pass on that good news to others. As John sat down to write, he discovered still another blessing–he realized that as he shared what he had come to believe his–own joy was brought to completion. In other words, joy is not complete unless it is shared! Joy that is stifled or privatized will quickly dissipate. Those who are comfortable in talking about matters of personal faith know that feeling. To put it plainly, it feels good to share the good news of Jesus with others. And when we can do the sharing with grace and a non-judgmental spirit, our joy is both completed and magnified.
Thought for the Day: A time when sharing has brought me greater joy.
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