The Intermingling of Sorrow and Joy

1-15-06
It's been said (i think by Jonathon Edwards) that every Christian joy is a broken hearted joy. Why is this? The main reason that every Christian joy is a broken hearted joy is because of the broken Christ on the cross by which every joy was purchased for us. Let me give an example:
I was with some friends the other night (a bunch of friends) and we were hanging out and laughing and really bonding in some ways. I had been longing for a while to have something like that and as it was happening, i thought of God and how thankful i was for His gift of good friends. Then i was reminded that this gift... (however small in comparison to others such as salvation, etc...)...this gift cost a high price. It was bought on the cross; the bloody, sorrowful, gruesome cross. As i contemplated on that it didnt ruin my joy (as some would think it would)..but rather it made me so much more deeply appreciative...it made the joy transform from a worldly shallow joy into a Godly deep joy which had its roots wrapped around the cross of Christ.
This is how i want to view every joy and every blessing that comes to me (and to others in Christ). May we never view blessings & joy through anything except the horribly bloody cross of Christ by which every happiness, blessing and joy was purchased for us who believe.
"Sorrowful, yet always rejoicing" (2 Cor 6:10)
More on this later...maybe.