The Contagion of Joy

I will have much joy in the Lord. My soul will have joy in my God, for He has clothed me with the clothes of His saving power. He has put around me a coat of what is right and good, as a man at his own wedding wears something special on his head, and as a bride makes herself beautiful with stones of great worth. ~ Isaiah 61:10

Maybe you're like me and you've never been part of society's "in crowd." I've always been kind of in the middle of the popularity contiuum - neither the most popular, nor the least. I've been content to flourish among a handful of true and faithful friends, secure in a healthy sense of self and humanity that my parents instilled in me from the beginning. But I'd be lying if I denied a certain longing for popularity, particularly in my younger years.

In today's paper, Dear Abby's column addressed this very issue. A reader wrote in to praise Abby's past advice about how to become popular, advice that the reader had practiced and had found to be successful. In a nutshell, Abby's original advice was to pay as much attention to the expression you wear on your face as to the clothes you wear on your body. The more cheerful and pleasant your demeanor, the more others will gravitate toward you. Not bad advice, but it begs the question...what if the reader were asked why she is so cheerful? Is she to answer, "Because Abigail Van Buren told me to be"?

This week, I've had the pleasure of sharing two separate meals with two joyful individuals, one being a certain minister we know and love, and the other being a good friend and sister in Christ. These folks ooze cheerfulness, and not the pretentious kind. Their joy is genuine because it comes from the very source of joy itself. Their faith in Christ is so committed, so complete, that they simply can't hide their joy of being saved by the grace of Jesus. I don't know about you, but I find the Jesus Joy to be more contagious than the most virulent flu bug or YouTube video out there!

I am by nature a somewhat serious person. I laugh and joke a great deal, but typically only among those with whom I am very well acquainted and comfortable. Outside of that, I tend to be quiet and reserved. My sharing of the Gospel has mostly been with those who are heartbroken or suffering, with an appropriately serious demeanor. But my dining companions this week have reminded me that living my daily moments with the visible and audible joy of Christ is perhaps the most effective way of sharing the Good News.

How fun would it be to compel someone in the grocery store or the bank to ask me why in the world I'm so happy? And how marverlous would it be to answer, "Because Jesus has saved me and He is alive in me"? If I try it for the next few days (and beyond), will you join me? Maybe together we can start the "Jesus Joy Club," the best in-crowd around!