The Power Of Joy Series

Let me ask you a question: Do you have joy in your life? Specifically, does your life as a Christian give you joy? And whether your answer is yes or no, does it really matter? In other words, is joy something that we should expect as followers of Christ? Is it something we need? Or is joy a nice-to-have, a bonus, something that we welcome, if and when it comes, but which isn’t truly essential? I’m asking because I believe it is possible to live what most would consider an exemplary Christian life: for example, attending church faithfully, serving on committees, giving generously, following a high moral code, and doing all the other things that we generally associate with being a good Christian—and yet be lacking in joy. But just because it’s possible doesn’t mean that we should view it as normal or desirable. The author, Henry David Thoreau wrote that,

“The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation. What is called resignation is confirmed desperation.”

And I think that many Christians are, if not desperate, then at least resigned, to a Christian life that is dutiful and obedient, even fulfilling in many ways, but which is missing this core element of joy. And they have come to believe that this is normal. But it isn’t normal. It isn’t what God desires for his children. God desires that we not only experience joy, but that we desire it, and hope for it, and seek after it. And this morning, I’m going to make the case for why we should do that, and why joy matters, a great deal, to the followers of Christ.

We’ll look at three things: first, what joy is and isn’t, because part of problem is that people don’t fully understand the Biblical concept of joy. Second, we’ll examine what we can do to foster and promote joy, in our own life and in the life of our church. And third, we’ll consider why joy matters, why it is truly powerful and not just a pleasant by-product of a godly life.

Let’s start with what joy is not. Joy is not the same as happiness, because joy is not a function of our circumstances. Unlike happiness, joy does not depend on whether good or bad things are happening to us. Our emotions change, from one day to the next and sometimes even from one minute to the next. If the sun is shining, and we had a good night’s sleep, and we got a raise at work, then we are happy. On the other hand, if it’s a cloudy day, or we have a headache, or the boss chewed us out, then we might feel unhappy. Or at least a little grumpy. But joy is not like that. You can feel good physically and have joy. You can also be suffering physically and have joy. You can have joy in the midst of happy, positive circumstances. And you can have joy in the midst of unpleasant and difficult circumstances. In other words, no matter what you are experiencing right now, whether your life is easy or difficult, pleasant or painful, you can still have joy.

You might be skeptical, so let me read this from First Peter,

“3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.” (1 Peter 1:3-6)

We’ll come back to this passage. But for now, just note that the Christians to whom Peter was writing were having a difficult time of it. In verse six, we see that they “had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials”. They were not merely experiencing minor inconveniences, or occasional challenges. No, they had been struggling with many different types of hardships, over a long period of time. They were being persecuted because of their faith. And as a result, they were grieving. They were suffering.

Let me paint you a picture of what their lives had become. They were losing jobs and becoming impoverished. Men who had been responsible, diligent workers were suddenly unable to provide for their family’s needs. They were being physically assaulted and beaten, with the authorities doing nothing to help them, or worse, even participating in the assault. They were being arrested and thrown in jail, even though they had done nothing wrong. Their possessions were being taken from them by the government. Things that they needed for daily life were being confiscated. They were being shunned by their former friends, and rejected even by their families. And on and on. Later in this letter, Peter refers to this as a “fiery ordeal”. It was intense. It was brutal. And yet, despite everything, they still were able, not only to persevere in faith, but to rejoice. And not only to rejoice, but to “greatly” rejoice. Because their joy was not dependent on their circumstances. And so, throughout all of this, their joy was not diminished.