Holy Trinity Lutheran Church - Ankeny, IA

  • Home
    • Church Calendar
    • Mission Partners
    • Council
    • Staff
    • Governing Documents
    • Building Use
    • Employment
    • Mobile App
    • Realm Tips
  • Worship
    • Worship
    • Welcome Card
    • Devotions
    • Music Ministries >
      • Adult Choir Schedule & Resources
    • Baptism
    • Weddings
    • Prayer Requests
    • Flowers
    • Serve
  • Learn
    • Children's Ministry
    • Middle School Ministry
    • High School Ministry
    • Adult Learning
    • Grace Notes
  • GIVE
    • Give
    • Capital Campaign
    • Memorials
  • Participate
    • Sign Up
    • Small Groups
    • Calendar
    • Email News
  • WELCOME
    • Welcome
    • I want to Join
    • Our Mission
    • How We Worship
    • What to Expect
    • Contact Us
  • Food Pantry
  • Home
    • Church Calendar
    • Mission Partners
    • Council
    • Staff
    • Governing Documents
    • Building Use
    • Employment
    • Mobile App
    • Realm Tips
  • Worship
    • Worship
    • Welcome Card
    • Devotions
    • Music Ministries >
      • Adult Choir Schedule & Resources
    • Baptism
    • Weddings
    • Prayer Requests
    • Flowers
    • Serve
  • Learn
    • Children's Ministry
    • Middle School Ministry
    • High School Ministry
    • Adult Learning
    • Grace Notes
  • GIVE
    • Give
    • Capital Campaign
    • Memorials
  • Participate
    • Sign Up
    • Small Groups
    • Calendar
    • Email News
  • WELCOME
    • Welcome
    • I want to Join
    • Our Mission
    • How We Worship
    • What to Expect
    • Contact Us
  • Food Pantry

THIEF OF JOY

10/12/2023

0 Comments

 
It’s often said that “comparison is the thief of joy,” but why is that true?  

The act of comparison takes our eyes off God and places them on ourselves and the people we’re comparing ourselves to. When we most need to see and understand the love of God, to begin “to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ” (Ephesians 3:18), we avert our gaze. When keeping our eyes fixed on God would reveal the goodness and mercy of God, we focus elsewhere. And that lack of focus on God is devastating because joy comes from God. 
​Dallas Willard beautifully articulates this concept by saying, "A joyous God fills the universe. Joy is the ultimate word describing God and [God’s] world. Creation itself was an act of joy, a celebration of the goodness in what was made. And because God is like this, and we can know [God] in this way, a life of contentment becomes possible." 

Joy is undeniably one of the gifts God desires to bestow upon us. It's explicitly listed in Galatians 5:22 as a fruit of the Holy Spirit, intended to be a hallmark of a life aligned with God's Spirit. However, when we engage in comparisons, our focus shifts from God to ourselves and those we're comparing ourselves to, diminishing the joy rooted in our connection to God. 

Comparison not only distracts us from God's boundless love but also severs our connections with others. It sets us on one side of the scale and someone else on the opposite side, creating division instead of fostering relationships. At a time when we need the fellowship of others, comparison isolates us, undermining the sources of joy in our lives. 

Relationships are fundamental to God's design. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit—a divine community of love—desired to share the joy and goodness of that community with those created in God’s image. 

The love that enables us to be part of this community is God's love. It allows us to understand one another, to share our stories, and develop empathy. By following the Holy Spirit's guidance, we can freely use our God-given gifts, recognizing that we all need one another. 

Loved, accepted, and empowered by God, we can love and accept one another. Engaged in a trinitarian circle of life, we can live in relationships marked by mutual submission, mutual love, and mutual blessing. Blessed by God, we can bless one another. 

Instead of seeing ourselves in isolation, we can recognize that we were designed to work with others, forming a beautiful, intricate puzzle. We don't need to define ourselves through comparisons with others; we can define ourselves as God's beloved children. 

The life of the Trinity—a life of love, fellowship, and mutual delight—is available to us. Crafted in the image of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, we can rejoice in our relationships with God and one another. Redeemed and empowered by God, we can be secure in our unique gifts and callings without constantly comparing ourselves to others. We can have unwavering confidence in God's love and blessings for all of us, recognizing that there is no inadequacy in God's design. 

In Christ, 
Pastor Travis 


0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Picture

    ​Categories

    All
    Learning
    Outreach
    Spiritual Transformation
    Stewardship
    Worship

    Archives

    June 2025
    May 2025
    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019

    RSS Feed

Holy Trinity Lutheran Church
A congregation of the Southeastern Iowa Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)
517 SW Des Moines St.
Ankeny, IA 50023
Phone: 515-964-4348
Office hours: M-Th 9:00 am-3:00 pm

Worship Schedule:
Sundays at 8:30 and 10:00 am
Livestream on Sundays at 10:00 am on YouTube

Picture
Picture
Privacy Terms

Subscribe to News
Realm
download our app
Calendar