A Call to Joy
Aaron and I have four kids, all of whom couldn't be more different than one another. Three boys, ages 13, 11, and 7, and our happy little surprise daughter, Dani Claire, is 6. I say that she was our happy little surprise, and we actually called her our “Happy Little Accident”, per Bob Ross. We may not have planned to have Dani Claire, but thankfully the Lord plans our lives out despite us, doesn’t he? I could not imagine not having my daughter.
She is so full of joy. She is always ready to party, looks for a good time everywhere and actively finds new best friends with every new person she meets. Sometimes, if I’m honest, I get a little annoyed with the joy she has. Hear me out… don’t think I’m a monster. It’s just when I am trying to get the groceries into the shopping cart, and get out of the grocery store, her excitement over every single thing that is shiny, sparkly, cute, or colorful can slow us down, you know? It messes with my ability to mark off tasks.
But she is uniquely able to find joy and see beauty in so many things around her. And that is something I never want to stifle. Which brings me to our topic... Joy. Which can be a scary concept for some of us.
Paul writes the Thessalonians, in the midst of their struggles, to "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." (1 Thess 5:16-18
After reading this verse, be honest… does it bring you a small amount of anxiety like it does for me? I feel like I should pull out my never-ending To-Do list on my phone and after Pick up a Walmart order and scoop out litter box, write in “Rejoice”, “Pray”, and “Give Thanks”. But it's not the “rejoicing”, “praying”, and “giving thanks” that I feel overwhelmed by. I’m pretty sure everyone sees the benefit of having more joy, prayer, and gratitude in their lives, right? It’s the qualifiers listed after each one! Seems a bit extreme doesn’t it?? “Always”. “Without ceasing”. “In all circumstances”. Joy always?!? Pray without stopping?? Give thanks in ALL circumstances?? Surely Paul can’t be serious…
But then, our friend, the Apostle Paul, takes it a step further by adding the very serious reason for this kind of living: “for it is the will of God''. So, this is no longer just about being joyous, prayerful, and grateful because Paul thinks it's a pleasant way to live. No, friend. This is a God given mandate for every believer. In other words, to not be joyous, prayerful, and grateful always, without ceasing, and in all circumstances would be an act of spiritual rebellion. Downright sin against our Holy God. **BRB, I’m going to go crawl into bed and cry for a minute.**
Now that I have you all worked up, what now? Let me calm your fears by going over two clarifications:
1.) Paul is not calling us to be happy all the time. Happiness is an emotional response to a favorable situation. Happiness comes and goes in an instant (i.e. how you were probably happy a few seconds ago when you started reading this little devotional but now you aren’t anymore). I read once that happiness is “fickle joy”. And I think that’s a great way to describe it. Happiness is a smile on my face because my house is clean, laundry is done, it's a crisp fall day, I have 4 hours of solitude, and a good book and cup of coffee in my hand. How many of you got a little happy while I was describing that scenario? But, you know as well as I do, that the moment my kids come barging through the door after school, I’ll have shoes on my floor, backpacks opened and dumped out, the TV is blaring, siblings are arguing, and poof! there goes my “happiness”. Happiness or fickle joy cannot be maintained. Life changes and moves way too quickly.
2.) Joy is often misunderstood and thought of as if it was a personality type. Some people are just born that way, and it's easy for them to be joyful all the time. But not everyone is made that way! Some people are more “down to earth people”, “glass half empty”, “call it like they see it.” We aren’t talking about personality types here.
So what is Joy? Joy is two things…
Joy is a conscious discipline that we cultivate daily. Much like your muscles that you build after consistent exercise, or a new skill you learn after consistent practice. It eventually becomes second nature. Joy is a conscious choice that you make daily.
Notice with me that when listing the fruits of the spirit, joy is the second fruit listed behind love. Which is interesting to me because we don't usually think, “Today has been a hard day, so my family better buckle up... I'm planning on being SUPER hateful to them.” No! Of course we don't! We know that we are called/commanded to LOVE always, no matter how difficult or inconvenient or painful it is. So why do we think that joy is any different? Joy is a heart posture and attitude that is chosen. Its not a choice our flesh is always willing to make. Sometimes its just SO MUCH EASIER to be sour! But just as we choose, oftentimes despite ourselves, to LOVE sacrificially for the glory of God, we also choose Joy, daily, hourly, moment by moment. For the glory of God.
Joy is also a GIFT. The ability to even CHOOSE joy is a gift that is GIVEN to me! I am not able to earn it. I cannot pay to have it implanted within me. I am not born predisposed to being extra joyful in hard times. I am given the ability to choose joy in every circumstance. Look to verse 18 again, “for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” Brothers and sisters, Jesus is the answer! We have joy THROUGH Jesus and BECAUSE of Jesus. Christ Himself is the conduit, the funnel of joy, AND the reason for our Joy. He’s our access to it and the source of it!
So when our circumstances change, the Lord Jesus has not. He is still good. He promises to abide with us us in the darkest moments. He remains our Great High Priest and intercedes to the Father on our behalf. Therefore the joy that we have access to remains constant. Jesus is constant and therefore our JOY IN HIM remains constant as well.
We are able to rejoice always because of the finished work of Jesus Christ on our behalf. We are the reflection of the Joy of God to this world. We are joyous because we have hope that our light and momentary afflictions will achieve for us something far greater than the forfeit happiness that the world offers. We are joyful because we have access to the Holy God, and can bring to Him our pain and questions, because what was granted to us by the sacrifice of Jesus. We are able to sincerely thank God for every circumstance, even those that bring us pain and suffering, that stretch us or challenge us, because we are confident that Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith, works all things out for our good and His glory.
It is God’s will that every believer walk each and every day in joy, because your sins are forgiven and you have been made alive in Christ. It is God’s will that you would commune with Him in prayer, casting on Him your anxieties because you are confident in His care for you. God desires that you would live a life of gratitude, because the same God that began a good work in you at salvation, uses today’s not-so-favorable circumstances to finish His good and holy work of sanctification in you until the day He comes again.
So, in every moment, Rejoice, Pray, and Thank God. In every circumstance, Rejoice, Pray, and Thank God. With every person, Rejoice, Pray, and Thank God. In the good times, Rejoice, Pray, and Thank God. In the bad times, Rejoice, Pray, and Thank God. In seasons of plenty, Rejoice, Pray, and Thank God. In seasons of need we can Rejoice, Pray, and Thank God. Always. Without ceasing. In all circumstances.