Confession of the day—I tend to be a natural cynic and a pessimist. Okay, that’s really not a confession to those who know me. Once when I worked as an administrator at a private school I ate a Dove chocolate and found an “inspirational” message I actually enjoyed—“A pessimist is simply an optimist with experience.” If you ask the question, “Is the glass half empty or half full?” I respond by drinking what’s left in the glass and tell you to stop asking silly questions.
And again: this is my natural tendency—my fleshly one… so that means it’s not good. It also means that I tend to have a problem with the concept of joy. I have a hard time being joyful.
Come Sunday, I’ll be preaching on joy. I recently started a series on the fruit of the Spirit, and joy is next in line. Studying the fruit is a convicting thing as I realize just how far short I fall in my own life, but something about joy just stood out…
Part of it was that I couldn’t find a good definition. I have hundreds of books in my library and as I prepared for this message I scoured titles, looked through notes, and pondered what I had read sometimes weeks before sometimes years. Very little said anything about joy. Granted this could be the fault not of the books but of the buyer—I just haven’t bought that speaks of joy. Maybe? But it still strikes me how much I have spent on these works of Christian life and theology and so little speaks of an essential fruit.
Nonetheless, I am not easily deterred so I pressed on with preparation. Isaiah 12 sits as my text. I will talk about how true joy flows from our recognition of the forgiveness of our sins (12:1) and the strength of God in our salvation (12:2). I will expound how joy manifests itself in the songs of praise we lift to God (12:2, 6), our prayers of thanksgiving (12:3-4), and our proclamations of his glory (12:5). All good stuff (I hope)…
And along the way I shall preach to myself.
I mean, I get the Gospel—I understand it. I know the depths and wickedness of my sin, I am well aware of my corruption, I am humbled by the reality that I was saved by grace alone, and I am thankful that I have the righteousness of Jesus imputed so I may stand before God. But sometimes I don’t get the application to my life…with things like joy.
Saying Christians should be the most joyful people around is a bit cliché, but it’s true. At least it is true so long as we understand joy stands distinct from the world’s concept of happiness. Jesus took joy in the shame of the cross because of what it accomplished for his glory and his people. We are to rejoice in our sufferings, rejoice in our trials, and rejoice in all things—good or bad.
Amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me… it’s a cause for us to rejoice with a joy inexpressible and filled with glory. Behold! Jesus is making all things new… it’s a cause for us to rejoice in the Lord always (“and again I will say rejoice”).
Will I face times of sorrow? Yes—pain and hurt still exists, and even if it’s not personal pain I must grieve a world that refuses Jesus. Will I face difficulties of trials? Yes—but nothing like the One who took the sins of his people and the wrath of God upon the cross.
I have faced and will face a multitude of things that steal away happiness. Yet Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He is the one who saved me. Nothing can separate me from his love. He works all things for the good of those who love him, who are called according to his purpose.
Even if I must face the rebuke of others and the disappointment over my own sins, there is still joy because Jesus has overcome my sins and granted me forgiveness. And I can rejoice because I have a Father who loves me enough to discipline me to make me a better man—a glorified, Christ-like man.
I might not always be happy, but if I truly grasp the greatness of salvation then I must be joyful. I have zero right to be cynical and pessimistic—of such I must repent and continue to repent as the Spirit makes joy a greater part of me.
A pessimist might be an optimist with experience, but if we have experienced Jesus then we will neither be a pessimist or an optimist in the world—but a person who seeks for and radiates joy in all circumstances.
And what would that do to my witness if I constantly show the world there is something greater to live for—someone who causes joy to transcend the darkness and depression we see? And what would it do for my church if I showed great joy in all that is right with God instead of frustration and scorn for all that is wrong with people and church?
It will be a struggle for a cynic like me, but that’s part of the reason we have our brothers and sisters in Christ—to have a family to encourage us in our struggles and spur us on to greater joy!
LOVE THAT! Gave me great joy.
Really good article, Mike.
And this section:
I wonder if our failure to walk in joy is one of the greatest hindrances to evangelism and church growth.
I’d say maybe our failures in joy and unity (and maybe half the problem with our unity is our failures in joy?)…
In Acts, the church basically turned the world on its head–certainly a move by the Holy Spirit… but it’s something to think about. They impacted thousands in a short period of time… thousands of our churches combined don’t even impact thousands in a long period of time.
It’s easy to say, “Well, this isn’t Acts.” Yet, at one point Jesus said the harvest field isn’t the problem it’s the lack of labor. Maybe we don’t see a harvest because we don’t labor, and maybe we don’t labor because we aren’t joyful and we’re too busy arguing. And maybe when the world looks at that and sees the same thing they see at work and school everyday we offer a gospel (lower case g intended) that has no power, no hope, and no reasons to truly follow Jesus…?
MIKE, there is a whole ‘theology of joy’ from ancient Church that evangelicals can explore.
Since it is their heritage too, evangelicals can choose from it what is most meaningful to them as Christian people.
And yes, that theology is grounded in the gift of ‘joy’ from the Holy Spirit who points us always towards Christ.
There is no evil in this world that cannot be addressed by the ‘good tidings of great joy, that shall be to all people’.
When the angel said ‘Fear not’, it wasn’t just a message for the sake of those poor shepherds in the fields long ago.
Mike, yep!
Mike,
Well said. I imagine this is part of the reason that Paul encouraged us not to get weary in doing good. Precisely because doing good can be so wearying.
This is an article I can grasp.
I have no idea what the old song meant when it said, “The joy of the Lord is my strength.” I do remember the joy of my salvation, but a joyful heart is somehow something I don’t grasp often. I write dippy little stories for my family, and I once asked my wife what sort of story she would like. She said, “A happy one.” I still haven’t written it.
I have settled for contentment in Him. Let me ask the rest of you: have I settled? Or is this simply how I have been made?
No cliches or poems, please.
Jeremy has asked to see
Nothing of cliched poetry.
I will honor his request,
And do my very, very best.
Not to write to him in verse,
Or with rhymes him to immerse.
Jeremy, if you don’t comment on my poetry, I will be VERY hurt.
Everywhere I go I find that a poet has been there before me.
Sigmund Freud
It is not sufficient to see and to know the beauty of a work. We must feel and be affected by it.
Voltaire
No, he’s pretty dumb. He’s in all the same special classes I am.
Bart Simpson
Freud, Voltaire and Bart Simpson? Eclectic.
Jeremy, your song phrase probably was a reference to Nehemiah 8:10 “. . . the joy of the LORD is your strength.”
Do you remember the name of the hymn ?
As I recall, it was “The Joy of the Lord is My Strength.”
Seriously.
That was a little chorus we used to sing.