November 7, 2024

Sour, Angry, and Negative

We are looking at how we make the gospel unattractive. I believe one of the main ways this occurs is when Christians are sour, angry and negative.

Some people live right but they always look like they have spent the night in a bottle of lemon juice.

If you struggle in this area, you need to listen carefully. Your salvation should be the source of great joy, and that joy and happiness should be expressed in your life in a dynamic way.

For example, Jesus said this in John 15:11,

“These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.”

And in John 16:22, He said,

“Your joy no one will take from you.”

In Romans 14:17, Paul said,

For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

Finally, James 1:2 says,

Count it all joy when you fall into various trials.

Joy is one of the hallmarks of the Kingdom of God. Even when we are going through a rough patch, the Bible says we are to be full of joy.

Joy makes the gospel attractive. If you put on a sour face all the time and you have a negative disposition, you will scare people away from church. You make the gospel seem like something people would never want.

Read previous devotionals

December 6, 2024

The Qualities of Love

For the last number of devotionals, we have focused our attention on how love is such a vital quality to the Christian life. We have seen that unless we love,...

December 5, 2024

Choose to Love

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do...

December 4, 2024

Releasing God’s Love

We have been talking about pursuing love in the last couple of devotionals. Today I want to go to a passage where Scripture gives us a snapshot of what God’s...