When I think of the expression “Joy To The World,” I think about the story in Acts chapter 3. There is this guy crippled from birth begging for financial help on the roadside. Peter and John came up to him and said, “Hey, we don’t have money, but what we do have we give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk,” and then Peter lifted him to his feet, and immediately strength came into his bones. The man smiled and jumped with joy!

Working with World Compassion, I’ve traveled a good portion of the world by the age of 28. I’ve seen places like Iraq, Afghanistan, Egypt, Turkey, China, Burma, and it’s the same everywhere. The world is hurting so badly. People are surrounded by such bad news everyday, and yet they’re like that begging man. He was a cripple since birth and there he sat asking for “money”? What he needed was life in his dead legs.

The reason we can live full of Joy in this world is because of this simple truth: we are not of this world. We carry the power of that name Jesus Christ of Nazareth, and it’s our job to share that name with the world. And the great news is, it works every time. It’s not just a happy song we sing. It’s the truth of our lives as believers, an abundant life that overflows so that we can share.

This holiday season let the everlasting Joy from your relationship with Jesus Christ overflow into the lives of those whom you touch. Joy is a gift to be shared.