That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life—  the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us—  that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.  And these things we write to you that your joy may be full. ~ 1 John 1:1-4

Why was John sharing the good news here? Why was he sharing all that he knew about “that eternal life which was with the Father and made manifest to us”? He was sharing because he wanted others to enjoy fellowship with other believers and, more importantly, with God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ. He wanted others to be full of joy.

Fellowship is community.  it is sharing. It is partnership and participation. John, like Jesus, wanted this for everyone. That means no exclusion, all are welcome.

Joy is gladness. It is cheerfulness and calm delight. We all want to experience joy, especially this time of year. And John knew that joy can only be experienced in fellowship with God the Father and Jesus Christ.

The Advent season is a perfect time to share the fellowship and joy that we, as faithful servant to the Lord, have with our family, friends and neighbors. We don’t need to go around telling others about Jesus for the sake of being right — to prove that we know what we are talking about. Rather, our motive should be simply to invite others into the fellowship that will make their joy full.

Lord in Heaven, Your word is powerful and convicting and I thank You for it. Starting today and the rest of this Advent season give me the desire to share You with others. May the idea of fellowship with You be more appealing than ever before. Please fill my heart with joy and let it overflow into the lives of those around me. In Your name I pray, amen.