Choose Joy

WHY DO SO MANY CHRISTIANS FAIL TO EXPERIENCE REAL JOY AND REAL PEACE? COULD IT BE THAT TOO MANY ARE CAUGHT UP IN THE “PASSING PLEASURES” OF THIS WORLD? MAYBE THEY HAVE LET THE WAYS OF LIFE DISTRACT THEM AWAY FROM FAITH AND GOD.

IT IS HARD TO BELIEVE THAT SOMEONE CALLING THEMSELVES A “CHRISTIAN” COULD STILL MISS OUT ON EXPERIENCING TRUE AND EVERLASTING JOY. WHY? BECAUSE JOY ONLY COMES FROM SERVING, ABIDING IN AND OBEYING JESUS CHRIST.

THIS IS THE ANSWER JESUS GIVES US TO A FULL AND LASTING JOY. JOHN 15:11, TELLS US, “I HAVE TOLD YOU THIS SO THAT MY JOY MAY BE IN YOU AND THAT YOUR JOY MAY BE COMPLETE.”

JESUS HAD JUST FINISHED TELLING THE PARABLE OF “THE VINEYARD” WHERE HE TAUGHT THEM “REMAIN IN ME, AS I ALSO REMAIN IN YOU. NO BRANCH CAN BEAR FRUIT BY ITSELF; IT MUST REMAIN IN THE VINE. NEITHER CAN YOU BEAR FRUIT UNLESS YOU REMAIN IN ME.” JESUS WAS EMPHASIZING THE IMPORTANCE OF ABIDING WITH GOD IN A LOVING, INTIMATE, AND OBEDIENT RELATIONSHIP. THIS IS WHY JESUS CONCLUDED HIS VINEYARD PARABLE BY SAYING “I AM THE VINE AND YOU ARE THE BRANCHES.”

JESUS MAINTAINED THAT HIS OBEDIENCE TO THE COMMANDS OF HIS FATHER WAS THE BASIS OF HIS JOY. IT IS NO DIFFERENT FOR US. WE MUST MAINTAIN A LIFE OF OBEDIENT LOVE WITH OUR HEAVENLY FATHER. NO RELATIONSHIP? THEN, NO JOY!

THE GOOD NEWS FOR US TODAY IS THAT JESUS WANTS TO GIVE US THIS COMPLETE AND FULFILLING JOY. HE KNOWS THAT APART FROM THIS DEPTH OF OBEDIENCE, WE DO NOTHING MORE THAN SELL OURSELVES SHORT AND SETTLE FOR NOTHING MORE THAN THE UNFULFILLING STATE OF BEING HAPPY OR FEELING GOOD.

THE JOY THAT IS IN JESUS CHRIST IS ALWAYS THERE TO EMBRACE IF WE WOULD COMMIT TO SURRENDING TO JESUS, LIVING ACCORDING TO GOD’S COMMAND, AND STRIVING EACH DAY TO FORSAKE OUR FLESHLY DESIRES THAT CRY OUT TO BE FULFILLED WITH INSTANT GRATIFICATION.

THESE ARE THE VERY THINGS JESUS SAID WOULD PROVIDED REAL JOY. HE NEVER SAID ANYTHING ABOUT JUST GETTING BY WITH BEING HAPPY. HE NEVER SAID ANYTHING ABOUT JUST LIVING DAY AFTER DAY IN A DULL EXISTENCE AS WE WAIT TO GO TO HEAVEN. THAT’S WHY I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE REALLY KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN JOY AND HAPPINESS.

HAPPINESS IS FUELED BY A DEPENDENCE UPON WHAT WE EXPERIENCE EXTERNALLY ON THE OUTSIDE. EVENTS SUCH AS A BIRTHDAY, SUNNY DAY, GIFTS, WINNING, OR A FESTIVE HOLIDAY.

JOY COMES FROM DEEP WITHIN ONES HEART AND SOUL. JOY IS THE DIVIDENDS THAT ONE RECEIVES WHEN THEY ARE WILLING TO INVEST THEMSELVES IN A LOVING, INTIMATE, AND OBEDIENT RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST AS LORD AND SAVIOR.

ALTHOUGH SOME WOULD ARGUE THAT THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO, THERE REALLY IS A HUGE DIFFERENCE BECAUSE JOY IS PERMANENT AND A STATE OF BEING WHERE HAPPINESS IS MERELY A FLEETING AND PASSING EMOTION.

THIS IS WHY I BELIEVE PEOPLE ARE WEARING THEMSELVES OUT TRYING TO NOT ONLY BE HAPPY BUT STAY HAPPY. THERE ARE MANY WHO THINK THAT MAINTAINING HAPPINESS REQUIRES A LOT OF CONSECUTIVE GOOD THINGS TO “HAPPEN” IN THEIR LIFE.

IT IS THIS TYPE OF MENTALITY THAT MAKES ONE DEVELOP THE NOTION THAT HAPPINESS COMES FROM A BOTTLE, A DRUG, A BIGGER HOUSE, HIGHER INCOME, FAME, FORTUNE AND HAVING A COMFORTABLE LIFE FILLED WITH MATERIAL POSSESSIONS.

IF THEY CONVINCE THEMSELVES THAT THIS IS HOW THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO LIVE IN ORDER TO FIND HAPPINESS THEN THEIR LIVES BECOME NOTHING MORE THAN AN ENDLESS CYCLE OF DIGGING AND CLAWING AFTER THINGS TO STAY CONTENT AND SATISFIED.

PEOPLE SEEKING FOR JOY BUT STOPPING FAR SHORT BECAUSE THEY GOT CAUGHT IN THE TRAP OF GOING AFTER AND SETTLING FOR THE QUICK FIX OF TEMPORARY HAPPINESS. MARK 8:36, “FOR WHAT SHALL IT PROFIT A MAN, IF HE SHALL GAIN THE WHOLE WORLD, AND LOSE HIS OWN SOUL?”

JOY, ON THE OTHER HAND, DOESN’T EVEN NEED THINGS TO HAPPEN BECAUSE THOSE WHO HAVE JOY KNOW THAT IT IS SUPPLIED INTERNALLY AND ABUNDANTLY BY GOD THROUGH AN INTIMATE AND OBEDIENT RELATIONSHIP WITH HIS SON JESUS.

THOSE WHO EXPERIENCE JOY HAVE LEARNED THROUGH EVERY POSSIBLE KIND OF SITUATION (WHETHER GOOD OR BAD) THAT JOY CAME BY THEIR DEPENDENCE UPON GOD THROUGH THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH HIS SON JESUS. FAITH. TRUST. OBEDIENCE.

IF ONE DESIRES TO GRADUATE FROM TEMPORARY HAPPINESS TO EVERLASTING JOY THEN THEY MUST ABANDON THEMSELVES AND SECURE THEIR TRUST IN GOD BY FALLING AT THE FEET OF JESUS CHRIST THROUGH CONFESSION OF SIN AND FAITH IN HIM.

IN OUR SCRIPTURE PASSAGE TODAY THIS IS EXACTLY THE PRESCRIPTION GIVEN TO LAND OF JUDAH. THEY WERE TOLD THAT IF THEY WOULD SIMPLY TRUST IN GOD AND KEEP A STEADFAST MIND THEIR TRUST WOULD SOON BECOME THEIR SONG OF VICTORY.

NOT ONLY WOULD THEY HAVE A SONG OF VICTORY, BUT THEY WOULD HAVE SOMETHING THEY DRASTICALLY NEEDED FOR THEIR WAR-TORN LAND – JOY AND PEACE!