Joy - Always

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NIV)

Like I said yesterday, sometimes joy just tries to escape me.  People try to steal my joy.  Situations try to steal my joy.  Satan tries to steal my joy.  It is difficult sometimes to "choose joy" all the time.  But Paul reminded the churches to rejoice always.  But he also gave the reason we can choose joy:

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! (Philippians 4:4 NIV)

We choose joy because of the Lord.  We choose joy because there is a God.  We choose joy because God is who God is.  God gives us many, many reasons to choose joy.

I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing the praises of your name, O Most High. (Psalms 9:2 NIV)

Sometimes I go to church services just to sing the worship songs.  I know this probably sounds strange coming from a preacher/teacher who never seems to run out of words to say.  But it's true.  When I participate in corporate worship, I sing God's praises.  I re-calibrate my mind with God at the center of everything.  I put God in His rightful place in my life.  When I do this, it helps me choose joy no matter what is going on in my life.

Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let them say among the nations, "The LORD reigns!" (1 Chronicles 16:31 NIV)

You see, when I go through my week I lose perspective.  I start listening to the opinions of the people around me, the people in media, and the people who have written books.  While this isn't always bad, it can be bad if there perspective starts with an assumption that God does not exist.  It can wear me down when I listen to them.  Not only that, it can take me off course when they believe God exists, but they want me to follow them instead of God.

Say among the nations, "The LORD reigns." The world is firmly established, it cannot be moved; he will judge the peoples with equity. Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let the sea resound, and all that is in it. Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them; let all the trees of the forest sing for joy. Let all creation rejoice before the LORD, for he comes, he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in his faithfulness. (Psalms 96:10-13 NIV)

When I let God be in charge of my life, it is much easier to choose joy.  When I let God take care of God's jobs and I take care of mine, it is much easier to choose joy.  When I trust God to provide air to breath, water to drink, food to eat, and shelter from the storms, it is much easier for me to choose joy.  When I envision God seated on His throne, high and exalted, as King of Kings and Lord of Lords, it is much easier for me to choose joy.  My part of His plan is a much easier burden to carry than all the other parts that people try to heap on my shoulders.

Rejoice in the LORD and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart! (Psalms 32:11 NIV)

All I have to do, then, is hold on to the thoughts from God and throw away the rest.  I need to listen to God, wait when God tells me to wait, and act when God tells me to act.  When I do this, I am choosing joy.  God's Spirit produces joy in my mind and heart.

For the choir director. A Psalm of David. A Song. Let God arise, let His enemies be scattered, And let those who hate Him flee before Him. As smoke is driven away, so drive them away; As wax melts before the fire, So let the wicked perish before God. But let the righteous be glad; let them exult before God; Yes, let them rejoice with gladness. (Psalms 68:1-3 NASB)

When I listen to the thoughts that set me against God, it steals my joy.  When I harbor those thoughts store them away in my heart, they create anger, bitterness, fear, lust and any other number of distractions.  They do not produce joy.  When I act on those distracting and tempting thoughts, my words and actions are used to steal someone else's joy, too.

I will be glad and rejoice in your love, for you saw my affliction and knew the anguish of my soul. (Psalms 31:7 NIV)

Even when we are inflicted with joy-stealing thoughts, words, and actions of others, God gives us the tools we need to choose joy.  We can take every thought captive and make it obedient to Christ.  We can compare the thoughts, words, and actions to the truth and then let the truth set us free.  We can send away spiritual enemies by simply resisting them and drawing near to God.  We can release the hurt from others sinning against us by simply forgiving.  God gives us all the tools we need to choose righteousness.  When we do, we are choosing joy.

But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who long for your saving help always say, "The LORD is great!" (Psalms 40:16 NIV)

God even gives us what we need to choose joy when we screw up.  Sometimes the pain, anguish, and suffering we go through is not because of outside influences.  Sometimes it is the result of our own choices.  We knew it was wrong.  We knew it was rebellion against God.  We knew there would be consequences.  We did it anyway.  When we did, we did not choose joy.  But even then, God has a plan for bringing us back to a place of joy.

I shall give thanks to You, for You have answered me, And You have become my salvation. The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief corner stone. This is the LORD'S doing; It is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day which the LORD has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it. (Psalms 118:21-24 NASB)

God exists.  God is creator.  God is sustainer.  God is ruler.  God is savior.  God gives us reason after reason after reason after reason to rejoice.  We have many, many reasons to choose joy.  And in the end, when this life is complete, we will be given even more reasons to choose joy.

Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting: "Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. (Revelation 19:6-7 NIV)

How about you?  Do you rejoice in the Lord always?  So you see reasons to choose joy?  Do you choose joy?

Joy - Choosing

I want to apologize for missing a blog post yesterday. I have no excuse, but there is a reason. Yesterday, I performed a funeral for a 41 year old man who left this life suddenly after a heart attack. The funeral was a wonderful tribute to his life and the love he had for so many people. Nevertheless, I found it difficult to write the blog post that was scheduled for that day. I was supposed to write about rejoicing. But, because of the events of the week, I found it hard to write, "rejoice."

Blessed are you when people hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man. "Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their ancestors treated the prophets. (Luke 6:22-23 NIV)

However difficult it may have been to write about, this week's events actually served to make the exact point I was supposed to share yesterday and, since I didn't, I now get to share with you today. Joy is not just a feeling. Joy is not just an indicator of what is important in our lives. Joy is something that we are instructed to have. Joy is something we choose.

I don't know about you, but my first reaction is not to feel joy when I am preparing to attend a funeral. The closer I was to the person, the harder it is for me to say, "goodbye." Joy is not the feeling I am experiencing when I go to the funeral services.

In a similar way, I don't really experience joy when someone hates me, excludes me, insults me, or rejects me because I believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. Yet Jesus himself tells us to rejoice in that day - leaping for joy. That is a command that seems difficult, even impossible, to follow. Over time, though, I've learned that it is not impossible. Not only is it possible, but God gives me everything I need to experience joy in all circumstances. "Rejoice," then, is essentially saying, "choose joy."

On Sunday, I took a chorus that many of our folks know from their younger days in Sunday school class. The chorus is based on this familiar Scripture: "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!" (Clap! Clap!) (Philippians 4:4 NIV) (The "Clap! Clap!" part isn't actually in the Scripture. It's just what we were taught to do after singing those words.) I changed the words and we sang, "Choose joy in the Lord always. I will say it again: Choose joy." (They clapped after this version of the song, too.)

Joy is not just a fleeting emotion or an indicator of what is important to us. It is something we choose as well. That is why God regularly tells us to "rejoice" for various reasons throughout Scripture.

The seventy-two returned with joy and said, "Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name." He replied, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven." (Luke 10:17-20 NIV)

How about you? Have you ever chosen joy over sadness? Have you ever chosen joy over God's priorities rather than your own? Do you choose joy in all circumstances? Do you rejoice?

Joy - Telling

Over time, I began understanding that joy wasn't something that was just fleeting. It didn't come and go quickly and unpredictably. Instead, I started noticing that joy came and went in a very predictable pattern. That pattern, I learned, was directly attached to something inside of me.

An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. (Luke 2:9-11 NIV)

The angels brought good news of great joy. The news was that the Messiah was born. I know a lot of people who do not get joy from this statement. I know a lot of people who don't even understand the statement, much less get joy from it. For the shepherds who were watching their flocks that night, however, this good news brought great joy. That's because they were waiting for the Messiah. They were expecting the Messiah. They knew the implications of the Messiah being born in their lifetime. Their joy tells us what was important to them: seeing God's plan fulfilled in their lifetime.

The same is true for us today. Joy is not something that is fleeting and unpredictable. It is very predictable. Not only that, it is telling. It tells us what is important to us. When we feel joy because we got a raise at work, that means getting a raise is important to us. When we feel joy at buying a new car, that means a new car is important to us. When we feel joy sitting down to a meal with friends, that tells us either the meal, the friends, or both are important to us. Joy tells us what is important to us. When the kingdom of God is important to us, we feel so much joy that we are willing to give up everything we have to be a part of it.

"The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. (Matthew 13:44 NIV)

So, how about you? What is important to you? When you get it, does it bring you joy? What does your joy tell about you?

Joy - Fleeting

But the fruit of the Spirit is...joy (Galatians 5:22 NIV)

I must admit that this is a teaching that eluded me for a long time. Don't get me wrong, I experienced joy quite a bit in my life. I had parents who experienced and modeled joy even in the most difficult of circumstances. I just didn't understand joy.

Joy (χαρά) is defined as "cheerfulness, that is, calm delight: - gladness" (Strong's Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries). It's something I've seen in many people. It's something I've experienced myself. It's something that has come and gone over time.

My confusion wasn't over the definition of joy. It was over the experience of joy in people's lives. I wouldn't understand, for example, when my parents seemed to experience joy even when they weren't sure how they were going to pay for something. I wouldn't understand how a friend in school would experience joy, even though she was confined to a wheelchair for life. I wouldn't understand how a single mom raising three children would experience joy in the middle of her second minimum wage job of the day. My experience with joy was much more tied to my circumstances, like Jesus discussed in the parable of the sower and the seed.

The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. (Matthew 13:20-21 NIV)

I would feel joy when things went well. I would understand joy when circumstances seemed to merit it. I would experience joy for relatively short periods of time before it would fade away. Joy, for me, was fleeting. It was short-lived. It was circumstantial. Joy came but it didn't stay.

How about you? Do you experience joy? Do you experience joy all the time or is it short lived? Is joy fleeting for you?