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The Challenge of Isolation & Insecurity

[Listen to an audio version here].

According to ancient records, King Ahab did a good job in building the Israelite economy. He also made strategic alliances, evidenced by his marriage to Jezebel, that brought security to Israel’s borders.

The problem with Ahab was that he did not serve the Lord. In fact, he was worse than the bad Israelite kings who came before him. The previous kings had worshiped the Lord, Jehovah, but in a wrong way, through a golden calf. Ahab worshiped the gods of the nations around them, Baal and Asherah, the fertility gods of the Canaanites.

Enter Elijah

God had promised that if His people turned away to other gods, He would call them back to Himself through judgments and through messengers or prophets. At this low point in the life of Israel, God called one of the greatest of those messengers into public service. His name was Elijah.

People looked back on Elijah with a veneration equal only to that given to Moses. They looked for another Elijah to come in their time of need. He was from the hill country on the east bank of the Jordan, a sort of highlander or mountain man. During his labors, God did amazing things. This is captured wonderfully in the song, “The Days of Elijah.”

In spite of these amazing things, the story of Elijah is remarkably human, just as Moses’ is. It conveys the fears, challenges, exhilaration, doubts, loneliness, and difficulties Elijah faced in doing such momentous work. In a time of crisis, Elijah’s ministry offers us many lessons for how God takes care of us in the ups and downs in life in general and the more wild swings of a time of great anxiety. Continue reading “The Challenge of Isolation & Insecurity”

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The Time Is Short

What I mean, brothers and sisters, is that the time is short. From now on those who have wives should live as if they do not; 30 those who mourn, as if they did not; those who are happy, as if they were not; those who buy something, as if it were not theirs to keep; 31 those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away (1 Cor. 7:29-31).

The Time Is Short

No matter how much we know that it is true, it is hard for us to grasp that life will not stay the same. Our minds and hearts get used to a particular situation, and it is easy to think that it will go on and on.

We all had certain expectations about this year. For many students, this was their senior year. They were expecting to finish out their school year, spend time with their friends, have graduation parties, and so on. Now, that all seems unlikely.

Recently, I talked to someone who moved here to take a job in our tourism industry. They are now laid off and no longer have the health insurance that this job provided for them. This year turned out very differently than they expected.

Looking forward to this summer, we made plans. I planned to go to our denomination’s General Assembly. That is now canceled. Will we have summer camps? It is hard to say. This summer may be much different than any of us planned.

When bad things start piling up, it’s easy to go in the other direction. We start to think that the bad things will just keep coming. But that isn’t true, either. The sun will shine again, even if it rains for weeks on end.

That’s what this passage reminds us to consider. Life has its up and downs, and these are constantly changing.

The Apostle Paul uses two phrases to explain this. The first is, “the time is short.” We can think of this phrase in a couple of different ways. On the one hand, this is the time between Christ’s first and second coming. Though it may seem long at times, it is short relative to the life of the world. Jesus came once, and Jesus will come again. We should be ready.

The time is also short in relationship to our time in this world. Each one of us had our entrance, and each one of us has our exit. It’s not very long, 70 years, or 80, if we have the strength. Either way, it’s like the flowers of the field that bloom one day and die the next.

We can also think of it in terms of the various seasons of life. My oldest daughter is now 17. Next year, she’ll be graduating from high school. I’m acutely aware of how short a time we have with our children in our household.

What does Paul mean? Maybe he means all of these things. Either way, the time is short, and this is always worth keeping in mind.

The other phrase that he uses is “the world in its present form is passing away.” There is a recognition that the world is changing. Summer gives way to fall, and fall gives way to winter.

Nowhere in the Bible is this more powerfully stated than the book of Ecclesiastes. “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build . . .” (Ecclesiastes 3:1–3).

There are different seasons in this life. One thing gives way to another. Life changes. Solomon went on to say in Ecclesiastes, “Who can straighten what he has made crooked? When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider this: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, no one can discover anything about their future” (7:13–14). The world in its present form is passing away.

Holding Loosely to What Doesn’t Last

This is great wisdom. The time is short. The present form of the world is passing away. If we would keep this in perspective, we would be much better equipped to deal with the changing seasons of the world. It would be better for us to look at every relationship, situation, activity, and possession and say, this is temporary.

In particular, God wants us to apply this wisdom to five things.

1. “From now on those who have wives should live as if they do not . . .” At first glance, this actually sounds wrong. We must remember, though, that wisdom often teaches us things by stating one perspective without intending it to be applied in every possible way. This obviously does not mean that we should literally ignore our wives or pretend like they are not our wives. God tells us to love them like Christ loved the church and that it is one of the gravest sins not to take care of those in our family (1 Tim. 5:8).

So, what does it mean? It means that we should view all relationships in this life as temporary. They are not our ultimate fulfillment, and relationships change. We cannot make even our best relationships the foundation for our well-being.

2. “Those who mourn, as if they did not . . .” Again, this could seem rather strange. If you have grief, be like someone who doesn’t. Snap out of it! This is not what it means. The Bible recognizes that there are times of grief. However, we should not let those things we grieve over take hold of our hearts at the deepest level. We should not mourn as those who have no hope. This is evident from the next application.

3. “Those who are happy, as if they were not . . .” We should not try to find our ultimate joy in the situations we experience in this world. We should not think “we have arrived” in this life. If things are going well, don’t get too wrapped up in it. These things change. The good times don’t last forever. They are not the place where our souls can ultimately rest.

4. “Those who buy something, as if it were not theirs to keep . . .” We often think that if we could only have this or that, we would be happy. Possessions do not last.

This was powerfully impressed upon me as I stayed in a condo in the month of January during my sabbatical. I made that condo my own to a degree. It got familiar. However, I knew the end of the month was coming. It would soon be mine no longer. Truly, all of our possessions are things we use for a time or rent for a time and then pass them on to others.

5. “Those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them.” This is similar to the last one, but we can apply it more broadly. If we are involved with the world, we should never let it take over all that we are. We should always hold our heart back to a degree. We shouldn’t make our businesses, our studies, our hobbies, our food, or anything else our foundation.

How do we know when any of these things have taken place? We can know when these things keep us from loving God and others well, when they keep us from important duties, or when they keep us from moving forward in our lives. Whenever these things happen, it’s worth considering whether these things have taken over our hearts too much.

Holding Tightly to What Does Last

That doesn’t mean that everything changes. There are some things that do not change no matter what happens, and this provides us with a foundation to live our lives. We need to hold loosely to the things that are temporary but hold tightly to the things that are not.

1. God is for us. “It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: ‘Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord’ (1 Cor. 1:30-31). Because of what Jesus has done, we have a relationship with God where our sins are forgiven, and He is for us. That doesn’t change, no matter how tough things may get.

2. God is with us. “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price.” (1 Cor. 6:19-20). People come in and out of our lives, but God will always be there for us and within us.

3. Our future is bright. There is a time coming when the time will no longer be short and the form of the world will not be passing away. “When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: ‘Death has been swallowed up in victory.’ ‘Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?'” (1 Cor. 15:55-56). What a great hope we have!

Conclusion

With recent events, We have been given a powerful reminder of a basic fact of life: the time is short and the present form of the world is passing away.

This does not mean we have to be rootless. A foundation is available. God invites you into a relationship with Himself through Jesus Christ where you can be forgiven of everything wrong you have done and given a new hope and new life. That’s what God offers as an unchangeable foundation. It means He’ll be for you, He’ll be with you, and He’ll give you a bright future.

If you have that relationship, then you don’t need to think of yourself without resources. Cling tightly to Christ! Hold everything else loosely! It will be a foundation for you in all the changes of this temporary world. It will give you the strength for today, and it will fill you with hope as you look to the future. It will give us stability in the midst of an unstable world.

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A Christian Response to Two Very Scary Things

Right now, we are dealing two interrelated and very scary things: a deadly disease and an economic depression. Both are extremely scary, and both are real threats.

How do we as Christians respond to these two very scary things? We can think of this on two different levels. How do we respond in a godly way to the scary things? And how do we respond to the scared people?

The answer to the first is courage, and you can read a summary of what courage means in this situation here.

The second question is more difficult. Here’s why. When we are scared, we have laser focus on the thing that scares us. We also want others to focus on what scares us. This helps make us feel safer.

When there are two scary things, it’s hard to focus on both and easy to want to focus on one or the other. Different people feel more scared about one or the other of the scary things and to different degrees. There is a spectrum of fear or concern on one side or the other. When someone doesn’t focus on the scary thing we’re focused on, it’s easy to feel threatened. This can lead to anger, accusations, and polarization.

So, how should we as Christians respond in this very difficult situation? Let me suggest four things: listening, humility, patience, and service.

1. Listening. The Lord commands us to do this, “My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry” (James 1:19) This means that when we see someone who is scared, we should seek first to understand and then to be understood.

But it means more. It means we should listen not only to people. We need to be open to reality and the best sources of information wherever they may lead us. That is what it means to be a good listener in a more profound sense.

Let me give you an example. I am one who has been concerned about COVID-19 and has even said that the lockdowns are helpful. However, various people have brought Sweden to my attention because they are the one country in Europe that is trying to take some precautions but not asking people to shelter in place. Life is going on (with some qualifications). Some predict that the results will be an historic massacre. Maybe they are right. So far, we have not seen it. If Sweden does as good or better than those countries that locked down, then we will have some evidence that the lockdowns were not needed. That will be painful to admit, but we need to be open to it. That’s listening. That’s being open to reality.

2. Humility. We need to have a high value of others, even those who disagree with us. This is especially true of those who are in authority or those who have expertise. That doesn’t mean we should agree with everything they say. We just owe them respect and honor.

In these times, we as Christians are going to have plenty of opportunity to show honor to authorities with whom we disagree. Here’s a couple of examples. Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida decided to open the beaches last week. Many people were outraged and attacked him because they were scared of the virus. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer gave quite a few regulations in her state that many people thought were too restrictive or even unconstitutional. People were outraged and attacked her because they feared an excessive lockdown. Now, you may disagree with those governors, or you may really like what they did. You may feel the need to protest, or you may feel the need to cheer. Both are fine, but either way, we have an obligation to disagree respectfully with everyone we disagree with but especially governing authorities.

A classic statement of the faith, The Heidelberg Catechism, captures this well. It asks, “What is God’s will for you in the fifth commandment [“Honor your father and your mother”]?” That I honor, love, and be loyal to my father and mother and all those in authority over me; that I submit myself with proper obedience to all their good teaching and discipline; and also that I be patient with their failings—for through them God chooses to rule us.” We can show by patient and respectful honoring of our leaders that we honor God. We have that opportunity in this time.

3. Patience. “Love is patient.” Says the Apostle Paul in his famous chapter on love (1 Corinthians 13). Patience with other people recognizes that people are at different places. We come to different conclusions based on different experiences at different times and at different rates. That is O.K. Patience is a willingness to allow for this difference and accept others where they are.

In 1 Thessalonians 5:14, the Apostle Paul has a great statement on the different places people are. “And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone.” Notice that he distinguishes the different ways that people can struggle. He even says you have to warn people sometimes. However, he says that with everyone, “be patient.” That’s what we need right now, too, patience, to allow people to work through these two scary things in different ways and at different paces.

4. Service. One problem with getting too focused on our fears, whatever they are, is that we can miss opportunities to serve those around us. Excessive anxiety can keep us from loving service. When we can overcome our fears and anxieties (not deny them!), then we can move outward in service. It also works the other way. When we move outward, it can help us overcome our anxieties.

The Christians in the early Church in the Roman Empire were well known for this. They went and served those dying of the plague when no one else would. We may not do that without taking some precautions that they did not know to take, but could we be known for that today? They will know you are Christians by your love, Jesus says. If we keep asking, who needs love? Who needs care? Who can I serve? What are my opportunities? It will keep us focused on the right things.

What a powerful thing it is to see Christians in a variety of ways stepping up to serve the people of their church and those around them. We need to lean into this in this time. We have a unique opportunity to show the power of God’s love in the face of fear through serving others.

Conclusion

These are scary times. It’s OK to be scared, but, as Christians, we can’t let it overwhelm us or keep us from loving other people well.

I commend to you listening, humility, patience, and service as four characteristics that can help us navigate a time when there are a lot of scared people. It’s not easy. The fear takes hold, and we want to run away or lash out.

But we’re not alone in trying to do this well. We have the Spirit of the risen Christ with us. We have the Church. We have innumerable examples of believers and Jesus Christ Himself who’ve walked through the toughest times and loved God and others well through them. That is our heritage, power, and opportunity.

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Photo by Anastasiia Chepinska on Unsplash

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Accepting Where God Puts You

Nevertheless, each person should live as a believer in whatever situation the Lord has assigned to them, just as God has called them. This is the rule I lay down in all the churches (1 Corinthians 7:17).

People complain about their situation. That’s just what they do. People complain about their families, their jobs, their government, their city, their friends, and so on. I’m no exception. I can whine with the best of them. It’s pretty basic to our lives. When we’re alone, we long for people. When we’re with people, we long for retreat. We’re hard to please.

In light of that fact, we have a surprising perspective here in this passage: we should accept the situations we are in. Why? Because God put us there. They are a result of God’s providence. God’s providence is God’s care and government of the world. Everything that happens is the result of His plan for the world.

Since all things come under God’s providence, that means that God has put us where we are. He has put us in the nations in which we are born. He has given us particular parents, children, gifts, resources, and communities.

What does this mean for us? Part of living well in obedience to God is to accept the role that He wants us to play. William Shakespeare captured this reality in his play As You Like It:

All the world’s a stage,
And all the men and women merely players:
They have their exits and their entrances;
And one man in his time plays many parts . . .

This is a great metaphor for understanding our lives. God is the author and director of the play. He assigns us our parts. It is our job accept the part He wants us to play and play it well. He is in charge of the play, and He is bringing it to a good end.

That’s precisely what the Apostle Paul says in 1 Corinthians 7. “Nevertheless, each person should live as a believer in whatever situation the Lord has assigned to them, just as God has called them” (1 Cor. 7:17). In verse 20, he repeats it: “Each person should remain in the situation they were in when God called them” (1 Cor. 7:20). He concludes that section by repeating it again: “Brothers and sisters, each person, as responsible to God, should remain in the situation they were in when God called them” (1 Cor. 7:24).

What does this mean concretely? We should look at our situations as the place where God put us. We should accept and assent to them as coming from God. For example, we have the parents that God gave us. We should accept that these are from God and seek to honor and love them. God has given us the financial resources we have. That means we have more than others but less than some. Can we be O.K. with that? Our current situation is beyond our control and calls for many of us to stay at home. Can we accept even this hard situation as coming from God’s providence?

Learning to Accept Our Situation

In 1 Corinthians 7, The Apostle Paul gives us good reasons to accept our situation. First, he says that our situation is far less important than where our heart is.

In Paul’s day, some in the church were really proud of their Jewish heritage. This led some people to reject their Gentile heritage and want to become Jewish (get circumcised, 1 Cor. 7:17). Some Jews saw what God was doing among the Gentiles, and they wanted to reject their Jewish heritage. Paul says, don’t do it. Don’t become “uncircumcised” (1 Cor. 7:18). What matters, he says, is keeping God’s commands. That’s the most important thing you can do. Being a Jew or Gentile doesn’t matter for that. It’s about living for God in the situation you’re in.

After speaking of Jews and Gentiles, Paul then directs his words to slaves. He says, amazingly, that if you are a slave, don’t let it bother you. Now, he does say that if you can gain your freedom, do it, as we shall see below. However, he says that they can even be a slave and be O.K. Why? Because they are truly free. They are truly free because the Lord has freed them from guilt, sin, and death. If they accept where God puts them and want what God wants, then they are doing exactly what they want to do. This makes them more free than anyone else. They can align their will with God’s will.

In speaking to those who were free, i.e., not slaves in a civil sense, he says the reverse. They are God’s slaves. This means that they serve the Lord. Being free means learning to submit to God’s will. “[T]he one who was free when called is Christ’s slave” (1 Cor. 7:22). True freedom means wanting what God wants even when it conflicts with what we might want.

So, our faith recommends a basic bias that we accept where God put us. The most important thing is our character, not our circumstances. Accepting God’s will is far more important than any change in our situation. If we are overly burdened with our circumstances, then we are saying that our situation and not enjoyment of God is most important to our happiness. On the other side, if we accept our situation, then we are proclaiming to the whole world that God is enough.

When to Change Our Circumstances

All that said, this does not mean that we should never change our circumstances. When we think about God’s will, we can ask about this in two different ways. We could say, God has put me where I am, so I should not change it. We could also say, God has given me this opportunity, so I should take it. Which one do we choose?

We have to evaluate this on the basis of wisdom. Here are a few guidelines.

Get out of slavery, if you can. Paul says to Christian slaves, “Don’t let it trouble you—although if you can gain your freedom, do so.” This means that we should not hesitate to make our situation better if it can get us out of an oppressive situation. But this means more than physical slavery. If we can get out of any situation that inhibits us from serving the Lord to our full potential, we should do so.

This is really important to say. Abusers often use “God’s will” to urge those they are abusing to stay with them. This is a despicable distortion of the doctrine of God’s providence.

Second, don’t put yourself into slavery. We also should be careful not to put ourselves into situations that will restrict our freedom or cause unnecessary suffering. “You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of human beings” (1 Cor. 7:23). This means that we are called to serve the Lord. When we contemplate a move, a marriage, or another change, we should ask, will this restrict me serving the Lord?

Third, seek greater fruitfulness. When we think about opportunities, we should ask: does this give me greater fruitfulness in service to God and others? If a new situation will enable us to bring more glory to God and be more useful to others, then it is an opportunity we should take. We need to work to grow the gifts God has given us and develop our potential.

Conclusion

When we understand God’s providence, we can see that God has put us where we are. He has given us various circumstances and situations. He has put different people into our lives. We should accept that knowing we can serve Him well in any and all situations by His grace. Even suffering can be used for our good and God’s glory in God’s plan.

So, how are you doing at that? Do you tend to look at your life as being something from chance or accident, from people of bad will, or even as a punishment from God? Or, do you see the place where God puts you as being from His Fatherly hand?

That’s what I’d like you to take from this message. Look at where you are, see it as God’s will, and accept it as God’s providence. Look beyond what appears and see the heavenly Father who, not having failed to give you His own Son, has put you where you are and will not fail to give you all other good things as well.

That’s how you can face this week with confidence. The situation you face tomorrow will not be something outside of God’s control. It is where God has put you, and His purpose for it is good. Amen.

Benediction: Go out this week and believe that what you are facing is ultimately about you and God and not anything else. Trust that He has put you where you need to be in His providence. If you see an opportunity to avoid suffering or become more fruitful, take it. This is also from God. But if you can’t, then trust that He will be with you and has you where He wants you for your good and His glory.

And may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father, and the comfort of the Holy Spirit fill your souls and make you fruitful in every good word and work. Amen.

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Photo by Kyle Head on Unsplash

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The Pursuit and Priority of Joy

An Important Question

In a series of talks John Ortberg did with Dallas Willard just before Willard’s death, he recounted a conversation that he had with Dallas about churches:

During one of the first times Dallas and I talked, I asked about the churches. Some churches are great at music and worship. Some churches are effective at evangelism or reaching folks outside of them. Other churches are teaching factories. Others are great at assimilating people. And still others are good at acts of justice and compassion. But, I asked Dallas, where are the churches that are producing abnormally loving and joyful, patient, courageous people in inexplicably high percentages?

It’s a great question. Why don’t we see more joyful, hopeful, and patient Christians? Is it even possible to see Christians who are “abnormally loving and joyful”? I began to think about as I studied a variety of writers from different perspectives.

My Path to the Pursuit of Joy

Many writers from a variety of perspectives have helped me think about joy. One writer was Rick Hanson and his book Hardwiring Happiness. He describes well our basic “joy” problem, “Your brain is like Velcro for negative experiences but Teflon for positive ones” (Read more here, 27). He noted that we can think all day about someone who makes a negative comment to us. However, when someone compliments us, we quickly forget it. This is true of most other good experiences. If we can turn that around, we can begin to experience happiness without minimizing the difficulties of life.

Another way I began to think about joy was by studying family systems theory. Michael Kerr is a psychologist and proponent of Bowen Family Systems Theory. He advocates trying to see our automatic emotional responses and developing an ability to choose our emotional states through a combination of awareness, learning, and practice. He suggests that “[i]t does not help to tell others to calm down; the key is to live it by calming oneself” (in Bowen Theory’s Secrets: Revealing the Hidden Life of Families). They key takeaway from this theory was that we do not have to go up and down according to the emotions of those around us. We can learn to live and feel differently.

Ancient philosophy also had much to say on this topic. I found a perspective among the Stoics that was similar to Bowen Family Systems Theory. To my surprise, they did not teach an emotion-less, Spock-like state. Instead, they emphasized learning to experience happiness and joy. Seneca writes: “Above all, my dear Lucilius, make this your business. Learn how to feel joy” (Letter XXIII). Throughout his letters, he teaches us how we can experience joy in a variety of circumstances by focusing on that which brings us joy in every situation rather than that which changes.

After reading all these sources, I wondered: if these people can live with joy and calm without the resources of the good news about Jesus Christ, shouldn’t Christians be able do much more with the joyful and glad tidings about Jesus? Indeed, Christians also have wrestled with the challenge of emotions. One of the most well-known is Peter Scazzero and his book Emotionally Healthy Spirituality. He emphasizes the possibility and importance of experiencing joy in our spiritual life: “True spirituality frees us to live joyfully in the present” (71).

I have also found that this is a strong emphasis in the Christian tradition of virtue ethics. Here’s just a couple quotes from the Roman Catholic theologian Josef Pieper that illustrate how integral joy is to their thinking. “There can of course be love without pain and sorrow, but love without joy is impossible” (36). He also says, “Even unhappy or unrequited love has broken through the principle of isolation on which ‘the whole philosophy of hell rests’ and so has gained a solid basis for joy, a part no matter how small of ‘paradise’” (37). You can read more in Anthology, his own selection of his most important works, which he put together at the end of his life.

This is just a small selection of the variety of writers who said that we can live above our circumstances and experience real joy in this life. They all taught that this isn’t automatic or common but that it is really possible and a worthy goal. As a Christian, I thought, if this is so important, wouldn’t the Bible have something to say on this? Of course, it does.

The Clarity of the Bible on the Pursuit and Priority of Joy

Paul’s letter to the Romans is one of the most profound statements of Christian theology. But what is it all about? It’s worth considering that Paul may have shown us what the purpose is at the end of his discussion of the doctrinal and practical issues of the letter. In Romans 15:13, he concludes that discussion with the following benediction: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Rom. 15:13). Obviously, an emphasis on joy was very important for him!

This is confirmed by what he says in Romans 14:17: “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” The kingdom of God is all about joy! It is a fruit of the work of the Holy Spirit (see Gal. 5:22). The Heidelberg Catechism grasped this centrality when it asked, “What is the rising-to-life of the new self?” Its answer: “Wholehearted joy in God through Christ and a love and delight to live according to the will of God by doing every kind of good work.”

This is probably why he gives the command in Philippians 4:4 that is repeated so often through Scripture: “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” This duty to have joy is described well in our Westminster Shorter Catechism. “What is the chief end of man?” It asks. And it answers: “to glorify God and enjoy Him forever” (emphasis mine).

Paul’s command is in line with what we read over and over in the Psalms. “But may the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; may they be happy and joyful” (Psalm 68:3). Isaac Watts wrote his song “Joy to the World” based on Psalm 98, “Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music” (v. 4).

When Jesus prayed for His disciples at the end of His life, His prayer was prayed so that they might feel joy. He said to His Father, “I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them” (John 17:13). This is in line with what he had said to them earlier, “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete” (John 15:13).

If there is so much unanimity among philosophers and so many strong words on this in Scripture, why do we experience so little joy?

General Obstacles to Pursuing Joy

First, do we even make it a goal? Do we have a vision for what God can and will do to make us a hopeful, joyful, peaceful people? Do we pray for this work in ourselves and others? Do we pray for a transformed character in the lives of the people around us and in ourselves? That’s where it starts.

Second, do we see that it is a process? If we do not, then we easily fall prey to delusion or despair. Delusion, because it puts pressure on us to pretend we have something we do not have or to a degree we do not have it. Despair, because we just keep waiting for it to happen, and it doesn’t.

On the other hand, if we see that it is a process, we can understand that though we may not be a joyful person today and probably won’t morph into one tomorrow, we can become more joyful over the course of time, in a year or three years or five years. This enables us to submit to God’s process and be patient with ourselves and others. We can encourage others that change is possible.

Third, are we re-thinking all of reality from God’s perspective? For example, do we view our houses and homes and possessions with a greater value than God would place on them? Do we concern ourselves with results or simply doing God’s will? Do we retaliate when people get angry with us, or do we see that we are created and redeemed for gentleness, even when others aren’t gentle? Do we see people in the church as members of the same body together (see Rom. 12:3–8)?

I remember one of the elders in our church describing monetary savings this way: savings is one way our heavenly Father provides for our future. That means that we should save, but we should not rely on our savings. It is merely one means by which our heavenly Father provides for us. That perspective has helped me view my savings with less anxiety. When surprising bills for car, home, or health come up, I deal with it with greater peace. Savings is good to have, but I’m dependent on my Father, not savings. That is re-thinking all of reality from God’s perspective.

Fourth, do we view suffering as an unmitigated evil or as gift from God to enable us to grow? When we get sick, are we more concerned about getting healthy than learning to be sick in a godly way? Do we see the challenges that people who oppose us bring us opportunity to become the people who know how to love even in difficult situations? That is embracing suffering as God’s training in a joyful, godly life.

Fifth, do we get other people involved? It’s hard to see our own weaknesses. We need other people to help us see ourselves. We often don’t hear God’s perspective well until we hear it from the lips of other people. We need to get involved with the church and the people God provides as a resource for our growth in grace. As the Apostle Paul said, “I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong—that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith” (Romans 1:11–12).

Specific Things that Keep Us from Joy

The first and most important thing that we need to consider is, are we finding our joy in God and His love for us? That is an unchangeable foundation and rock for our joy and peace. Or, are we finding our joy and peace in things that change and cannot provide us with a foundation?

We miss out on joy when we make other things the primary source of our joy. People can make us lose our joy. When they don’t accept us or distance from us, we can lose our joy.

Lack of security can keep us from joy. We lose our joy when we see our retirement account depleted or get an expected health, home, or auto bill that we’re not sure how we can pay for.

Lack of pleasures or presence of pain can keep us from joy. We want to experience good things that we are not or we are feeling painful things that we want to avoid.

Lack of success can rob us of our joy. When we base our joy on how well we do or how much we accomplish, we can lose our joy when things don’t work out the way we hoped.

Only God can be our ultimate source of joy. However, when we have God as out ultimate joy, then we can also find joy in the people in our lives, the things that make us secure, the pleasures we experience, and the successes we experience. In fact, we have many more things that can cause us joy than we tend to notice. We not only can but should take note of these things.

A Brief Method for Pursuing Joy

So, how do we do it? How do we make pursuing joy part of our busy schedules?

First, remember that joy is a gift of the Holy Spirit, and it is readily available to all who ask.

Second, ask for the gift. Begin your day with even a brief meditation on God and His goodness. Think of how He made you, takes care of you, loves you, redeems you, and is present with you to guide you, lead you, and comfort you. Then, pray for your day and ask God to fill you with His joy. Do this every day.

Third, schedule some time for thoughtful reflection, even if it’s only 10 minutes a week. When you do that, ask, What kept me from joy and peace this week? Then ask, how could I have thought differently about that situation or seen God’s goodness in a way that would have enabled me to continue to experience joy? Finally, write down what your thought is or record it in mp3 on your phone, just some way in which you can review it.

This third point is the key practice. I find that there are two ways that can really help you thoughtfully reflect on your life. The first is to write down what happened, to journal. I think this is best because it provides a record of where you’ve been. The second is to talk about it with someone you trust, i.e., verbal processing. You can do both or either. The key is to do it.

Fourth, keep doing it.

Some Objections to Pursuing Joy

Why wouldn’t we do this? Here are a few common objections.

1. “I don’t have an exuberant personality.” An exuberant personality is not the same as joy. Joy is founded on hope, the firm conviction that all things will turn out well. This should lead us at times to be exuberant. However, the exuberant person who bases their joy on personality will often find it shaken in times of real challenge.

2. “I’m going through hard things.” Sorrow is not inconsistent with joy. Paul said that he is “sorrowing yet joyful” (2 Cor. 6:10). We should grieve, but grief should not be our deepest response. We should never grieve as those who have no hope.

3. “I’m too busy to worry about it.” Feeling joy in the goodness of God is what life is all about. It’s central to who we are as human. It’s as important to our health as eating (if not more so). It is the fuel for everything else.

The Advantages of Pursuing Joy

Why do it? Here are a few motivations.

1. It’s good. To be joyful is a good thing. Who truly would not want to experience joy in every situation? So, why not pursue it?

2. It frees us to act. When we are in despair and lack joy, then it is hard for us to move forward. Joy enables us to move forward with strength. When we feel joy, we can serve others and the world with strength.

3. It glorifies God. God wants us to be joyful and find joy in Him. Finding joy in Him says that God is greater than our circumstances. Because of God’s goodness, the door to lasting joy is wide open. The Dutch Reformed theologian Wilhelmus à Brakel put it this way: “Have you not tolerated this heaviness and sorrow long enough and spent your time being melancholy?…God is pleased with the joy of His children [and wants them] to…leap for joy and sing His praises with joyful…lips” (The Christian’s Reasonable Service, 2.37).

Joy is available, if we will pursue it and make it a priority.

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Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash

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