A ripple of Christ Joy!
A ripple of Joy
I had believed I was a Christian all of my life, but in 2010 I had a true encounter with God that transformed my faith and how I interacted with others!
At the time of my transformation, I was working in a warehouse and also working as a doorman(bouncer) part-time at a bar and grill.
My responsibility at the bar and grill was to check customers' ID's to make sure they were old enough to come into the establishment. Originally I had an okay attitude when doing my job. For example, I would say “ID please” and our customer would give me their ID and I would hand it back to them and they would walk into the restaurant.
One day I decided I wanted people to know that I was Christian, but not by preaching to them or hitting them over the head with a Bible. But by my outward expression of the Holy Spirit that lives within me.
So I asked God how to accomplish this, and the response I believe I received was to express Christ Joy through the Holy Spirit through me.
I decided I was going to let the Holy Spirit express Joy through me at the door. The Holy Spirit immediately started to reveal to me what joy would look like expressed through me. The Holy Spirit put in my heart it would look like me being very joyful to meet people when I greeted them at the door, and it would look like me sharing my full name with them in a joyful manner. He also revealed to me it may also look like me thanking the guest for coming in and blessing them with a nice day, or night when they left!
The Holy Spirit reminded me that even if a person became upset, or was already upset when they came to the establishment, I was to always show them joy!
At the time of my transformation, I was working in a warehouse and also working as a doorman(bouncer) part-time at a bar and grill.
My responsibility at the bar and grill was to check customers' ID's to make sure they were old enough to come into the establishment. Originally I had an okay attitude when doing my job. For example, I would say “ID please” and our customer would give me their ID and I would hand it back to them and they would walk into the restaurant.
One day I decided I wanted people to know that I was Christian, but not by preaching to them or hitting them over the head with a Bible. But by my outward expression of the Holy Spirit that lives within me.
So I asked God how to accomplish this, and the response I believe I received was to express Christ Joy through the Holy Spirit through me.
I decided I was going to let the Holy Spirit express Joy through me at the door. The Holy Spirit immediately started to reveal to me what joy would look like expressed through me. The Holy Spirit put in my heart it would look like me being very joyful to meet people when I greeted them at the door, and it would look like me sharing my full name with them in a joyful manner. He also revealed to me it may also look like me thanking the guest for coming in and blessing them with a nice day, or night when they left!
The Holy Spirit reminded me that even if a person became upset, or was already upset when they came to the establishment, I was to always show them joy!
So after the Holy Spirit let me know what it would look like to show His Joy, I let Him show joy through me. Wow! The change was amazing. Not only did I change, but the customers that interacted with me change also. You would not believe it, but it was like the joy of the Holy Spirit became contagious!
After interacting with me at the front door the customers would walk into the restaurant and talk with the server in a joyful manner. This made the server joyful and happy and she would treat the next guest with that same joy, and that guest would treat our other customers with great joy, and this went on and on! Before you knew it, joy filled the entire building!
Then the Holy Spirit reminded me of the times I did not show joy. These may have been times that I may have been rude, because of a lack of sleep or any other reason.
He also brought to my mind the times I was at other jobs and someone was rude or angry with me and how I sometimes treated the next person that I came in contact with!
Either way, it is like taking a stone and throwing it into a pond, whether positive, or negative; or fruitful, or fleshly(un-godly) our character affects others around us.
Either way, it creates a ripple effect of positive or negative experiences, similar to ripples in a pond!
Being put to the test!
After God showed me how our joy or lack of it can affect others around us, it was not long before I was put to the test!
One night while at the door there was a guest who came into the bar and grill that was not having a good day! When I asked him for his I.D., the response I received from him was far from positive. He responded with a loud and angry voice “Don’t I look old enough?”
Now remember what I told God, I had told Him that I would make every effort to show Joy even if joy was not being expressed to me.
So after the person responded to me with an outburst of anger, I responded back to him with joy and mercy.
My response went something like this “Sir I am sorry that my checking your I.D. has made you upset, but the policy was put in place to protect this establishment and the customers that come here”.
I then shared with Him my full name with sincere joy and proceeded with thanking him for coming in.
To my surprise, the guest snatched his I.D. from my hand and walked Into the bar and grill.
Christ's joy can soften the hardest hearts!
You would not believe this, but later on that night I felt a tap on my shoulder. It was the customer that was upset with me at the door, he came to apologize! He told me that he was having a bad day before he got to the restaurant and that he took it out on me. He told me he was sorry and thanked me for the kindness that was expressed to him.
His apology gave me a chance to share my faith with him. I shared with him my recent encounter with God and how my encounter and personal relationship with God change my life and how I interact and treat others, by letting Christ live through me!
This experience enlightened me in other ways that I may be able to show Christ joy and likeness to others through my words and actions that are led by the Holy Spirit!
God showed me that it could be as simple as opening a door for someone or thanking them with a smile. It could look like helping a person with a flat tire, or buying a person groceries who was in need.
Either of these simple gestures of Christ Spirit being expressed through me could have an immeasurable ripple effect of Christ love to the world!
I’m thankful that the Lord has since removed me from my position as a doorman, however, this experience and job showed me that through me, God can Minster anywhere!
After interacting with me at the front door the customers would walk into the restaurant and talk with the server in a joyful manner. This made the server joyful and happy and she would treat the next guest with that same joy, and that guest would treat our other customers with great joy, and this went on and on! Before you knew it, joy filled the entire building!
Then the Holy Spirit reminded me of the times I did not show joy. These may have been times that I may have been rude, because of a lack of sleep or any other reason.
He also brought to my mind the times I was at other jobs and someone was rude or angry with me and how I sometimes treated the next person that I came in contact with!
Either way, it is like taking a stone and throwing it into a pond, whether positive, or negative; or fruitful, or fleshly(un-godly) our character affects others around us.
Either way, it creates a ripple effect of positive or negative experiences, similar to ripples in a pond!
Being put to the test!
After God showed me how our joy or lack of it can affect others around us, it was not long before I was put to the test!
One night while at the door there was a guest who came into the bar and grill that was not having a good day! When I asked him for his I.D., the response I received from him was far from positive. He responded with a loud and angry voice “Don’t I look old enough?”
Now remember what I told God, I had told Him that I would make every effort to show Joy even if joy was not being expressed to me.
So after the person responded to me with an outburst of anger, I responded back to him with joy and mercy.
My response went something like this “Sir I am sorry that my checking your I.D. has made you upset, but the policy was put in place to protect this establishment and the customers that come here”.
I then shared with Him my full name with sincere joy and proceeded with thanking him for coming in.
To my surprise, the guest snatched his I.D. from my hand and walked Into the bar and grill.
Christ's joy can soften the hardest hearts!
You would not believe this, but later on that night I felt a tap on my shoulder. It was the customer that was upset with me at the door, he came to apologize! He told me that he was having a bad day before he got to the restaurant and that he took it out on me. He told me he was sorry and thanked me for the kindness that was expressed to him.
His apology gave me a chance to share my faith with him. I shared with him my recent encounter with God and how my encounter and personal relationship with God change my life and how I interact and treat others, by letting Christ live through me!
This experience enlightened me in other ways that I may be able to show Christ joy and likeness to others through my words and actions that are led by the Holy Spirit!
God showed me that it could be as simple as opening a door for someone or thanking them with a smile. It could look like helping a person with a flat tire, or buying a person groceries who was in need.
Either of these simple gestures of Christ Spirit being expressed through me could have an immeasurable ripple effect of Christ love to the world!
I’m thankful that the Lord has since removed me from my position as a doorman, however, this experience and job showed me that through me, God can Minster anywhere!
Remember our hearts are like metaphorical soil, and the fruit of The Holy Spirit is a spiritual fruit. This fruit contains a seed, God’s presence! God uses our unconditional love to till the hearts of others, so eventually His love will grow in them. This love, if watered and fertilized, will produce a spiritual Tree(vine); that will produce fruit (of the Holy Spirit). This love when it grows will create disciples in Christ!
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