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Have you ever got some news before that you were just barely able to contain? Maybe it was a friend's engagement, an expected child, or finding out someone became a Christian.

 

The Apostle Paul wrote in Philippians 1:4-5: "I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.”

 

Paul is pumped with what's going on in this little church at Philippi, they're on mission - their partnered to the gospel, and they're spreading it. Paul says, 'I always pray with joy.'

 

Joy at its roots only happens when something is undeserved. On his own Paul is nothing, on its own the Philippians are nothing. So when God gives them something, when He gives them Jesus - there's celebration, and there's joy.

 

So why isn't there always joy? Why aren't we always this fired up? We lose perspective, and we make it about us. We let our failures blind us from God's favour. We let our mistakes remove us from God's masterpiece.

 

Paul goes on to say that his confidence is in God. A good work can only be good if it comes from God; completion can only come from the Creator. If you want to remain joyful, remember God.