There are moments when joy comes easy. Or so it seems.
Perhaps a simple pleasure brings joyful reflection: a warm fall evening with the family, ocean waves rolling against the shore, or a chocolaty dessert you don’t have to share. In those moments, we remind ourselves to soak it in, which of course, only short-circuits the joy—we know passing pleasure never spills into anything permanent.
If I were to guess, I’d say that most of us cycle between the good times and the bad. A couple months of unbroken ease always give way to stressful job situations, damaged relationships, or tension in the home. Sometimes, it seems, our faults are constantly on display for all to see.
Enough of these tensions pile up and we find ourselves lying in bed at night wondering if we’ll ever recapture the joy that came so easily a few months before. I’ve found that these sleepless nights offer two temptations: blame shifting and wishful thinking.
First, it’s easy to blame God even while praying “restore unto me the joy of your salvation.” We too often remove our responsibilities from the equation, thereby leaving God Most High holding the bag. It’s no wonder God refuses to answer these prayers. Second, we accept the lie that joyful contentment is right around the corner—if only my kids were potty trained, if only my job were fulfilling, if only I could be free of that financial burden, if only ….
These “if only” thoughts betray our conviction that trials inhibit joy. But that, my friend, is wrong thinking. The New Testament is clear—true joy is the result of Christ-infused, others-serving, upward-looking, trial-enduring godliness. We find joy through turmoil, not in the absence of it.
Real, lasting joy is hard-won. Too often we think of joy like a feel-good movie—we stumble along until some confluence of good fortune finds us; the story ends at the happiest moment. But that’s cheap joy. And cheap joy is just like any other mundane pleasure that’s easily purchased, briefly consumed, and quickly forgotten.
I’d encourage you to look up every New Testament reference of the word “joy”—I think the results will surprise you. NT writers, over and again, connect joy with three concepts: the Word of Christ, Christian suffering, and Christian ministry.
Joy’s Source: The Indwelling Word
In John 15, Jesus concludes the metaphor of the Vine and Branches with this statement, “these things have I spoken to you that my joy may be in you and your joy may be full” (15:11). What are “these things”? And how do they bring full joy? The answer is pretty clear—“abide in me” (v. 4). But what does that mean? Jesus explains in the following verses: abiding in Jesus means allowing His Word to abide in us (7a), which results in answered prayer (7b), love (9), and obedience to Christ’s commands (10). But it all starts with putting Christ’s words within, a connection Jesus confirms again in the High Priestly prayer of John 17:13-17. When we make every effort to supplement our faith with the knowledge of Jesus’s words (2 Pet. 1:5), we pave the way for the Spirit to provide genuine joy (Gal. 5:22). Joy isn’t something we conjure; it’s a gift bestowed by the Spirit of God through the testimony of Christ’s abiding Word.
The other day I was struggling with contentment, so I started singing a homey little camp song: “Don’t don’t ya don’t, Don’t don’t ya don’t, don’t ya get weary … workin’ for the Lord.” And you know what? God granted reassurance, not because I was super-duper spiritual and remembered to sing, but because God’s Word is powerful. And it works internally with the Spirit’s witness to provide lasting joy.
Joy’s Catalyst: Manifold Temptations
I like that KJV phrase—manifold temptations (1 Pet. 1:6). Believe it or not, manifold temptations are intended to create more joy, not less. Jesus says, “Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man! Rejoice on that day and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven” (Luke 6:22-23). That’s not just empty talk from our Savior; he endured the cross because of the “joy that was set before him” (Heb. 12:2). Jesus’s half-brother, James, commands us to respond to trials joyfully because of the resulting spiritual maturity (1:2-4).
Be joyful, brethren, not when your selfie hits a hundred likes (that commercial cracks me up every time, by the way), but when trials come knocking on your door. Not only has your Lord thought you worthy to suffer with Christ, but you’re earning rewards that will not diminish throughout eternity’s eons.
Joy’s Expression: Others-Serving Ministry
New Testament writers equate joy with other’s serving ministry, even when that ministry is difficult. For example, Paul’s relationship with the believers at Corinth was, at best, up and down. He wrote several letters of varying severity and endured an extremely painful visit, yet through all of that, Paul says, “I wrote as I did … that my joy would be the joy of you all” (2 Cor. 2:3). John concurs: long-term ministry is a source of abiding joy: “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in truth” (3 Jn. 4; see also 1 Jn. 1:4).
The hard-won spiritual development of people is a constant source of joy (1 Thess. 2:20; 2 Tim. 1:4). And here’s the reminder: joy is not exclusively for me. It’s a Spirit-wrought fruit that encourages me to re-double my ministry to others.
Final Thoughts
We often pray for joy, but we really mean smooth sailing. And the New Testament reality is this: heavy seas when harnessed by God and His Word, produce a joy of a different caliber. Hard-fought joy is a long-remembered spiritual commodity not cheaply traded for the world’s passing fancies.
