Joy Filled Greetings
By Sharon Musgrove
“This letter is from James, a slave of
God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. I am writing to the “twelve tribes”—Jewish
believers scattered abroad. Greetings!”
James 1:1 NLT
Vacationing on the Hawaiian Islands is
a true delight! Sunshine, warm ocean
breezes and vibrant blue waters are a soothing balm to my frazzled mainland
soul. Conversely, the zesty pineapple
and sweet papaya revive my taste buds during winter’s lull in fresh produce at
home. It is a sensory feast that
contrasts the gray days of Oregon.
While I delight in all the tangibles,
it’s the Hawaiian “Spirit of Aloha” that I desire most. This spirit of aloha is a lifestyle of love
and unity the people embrace. The
Hawaiian word Aloha is associated with hello and goodbye, but also means
love, kindness, compassion, and grace.
So, when greeted with, Aloha, it is more than an acknowledgment
that we see each other. The heart behind
the word says, May there be friendship and love between us!
I want in on that.
It turns out, the early church also had
a single word of greeting that included in its meaning, not only love, but the
good news of Jesus Christ! “Greetings” is
the Greek word “chairein,” which also means rejoice!
My favorite use of this word in the New
Testament occurs in James 1:1 (NLT) (italics mine):
“This letter is from James, a slave of
God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. I am
writing to the “twelve tribes” —Jewish believers scattered abroad. Greetings!”
Rejoice!
There are two amazing things about rejoice
as a greeting here. First, James
describes himself as being a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ...and he
is happy about that! James writes to Jewish refugees, a people
ousted from home, with generations of oppression in their history. Yet he reminds and encourages them with a
good news attitude. Rejoice!
Secondly, James continues,
post-greeting, to encourage believers by suggesting they should consider the
trials they continue to encounter as “opportunity for joy.”
Wait, what?
“Dear brothers and sisters, when
troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great
joy. For you know that when your faith
is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.
So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be
perfect and complete, needing nothing.”
James 1:2-4 NLT
How, on earth, do you rejoice when feeling
cut to the bone?
James reminds that while we reside
physically in a world that hurts us, God is using that hurt to spiritually heal
us by making us less like people who persecute, and more like Himself. Allowing God to work in us, we’re moving
ahead in His Kingdom, rather than squirreling in a cage. He brings His Kingdom to earth, through His
love working within us.
That is our sunshine on a dark
day...our trip to Hawaii in winter . . . Jesus Christ died and resurrected for
the reconciliation of the world! Man
unified with God and unified with one another, sounds like paradise!
Can you feel the sun and taste the
pineapple?
When focused on the dark days, we tend
to forget the good news our faith promises.
We need to participate with a more constant reminder of God’s “Aloha Spirit”.
So, what if we change our greetings to
help us remember God’s Kingdom ways?
What if we lead with a salutation that is encouraging, both to ourselves
and our neighbors? One that reminds the
truth of the Spirit of God? Would you
see rainbows on your stormy days?
Let me be the first....
My name is Sharon, and I am writing to
you, my fellow follower of Jesus . . . rejoice!
Author
Bio:
Sharon has
been writing and teaching biblically based curriculum, Bible studies, and
devotionals since 2007.
She has
had the unique position of writing curriculum and teaching for two private,
Christ-based, residential recovery programs. Both programs primarily served
women in the homeless community.
Sharon has
traveled multiple times to Kenya, serving on medical teams and teaching in the
rural Maasai communities. She’s been privileged to speak in Leadership camps intended
on encouraging and empowering the impoverished, underprivileged, and often
abused young women.
Within
these ministries, Sharon has witnessed the transformative power of loving words
spoken to the broken-hearted. Sharing God’s love and witnessing its
transformative power has become her passion.
Sharon and
her husband, divide their time between Oregon and Hawaii. They have two grown
children.
Currently,
Sharon is encouraging others via her inspirational blog, but prefers sharing
face to face. Additionally, she is working towards a degree in Ministry.
~*~
Connect
with Sharon:
Website: Sharonmusgrove.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Sharon-Musgrove-Untethered-102208978041060
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sharonmusgrove_untethered/
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