What makes you joyful?
This being the third week of Advent, Joy Sunday, we were naturally talking about joy. It’s one of those things that the apostle Paul talks about as “The Fruit of the Spirit.” That is to say, when the Spirit of God is in us one of the things that should be produced in us is joy.
So we tried something different on a Sunday morning and split into groups (2 men’s groups and 1 women’s group) to come up with the top 5 things we think would bring us joy (being a sma7ll church, breaking into groups wasn’t very difficult—I don’t think I would have tried this in a large church).
What about you? If you had to pick 5, what would you think the average person would say?
Here’s what our younger men came up with:
- A good job. The idea of having a job that both provides abundantly AND fills you with a sense of accomplishment/achievement was a big factor in people’s ideal of a joy-filled life.
- A new truck. I’m not sure which young man came up with this one, but I agree—a new truck would make me pretty happy, too!
- Having the family together. Perhaps the Christmas season makes people long for family and community. Perhaps it’s being part of a military community where we are separated from family more than other communities. Either way, having our loved ones around is important.
- Being able to play my instrument whenever I want. I think we had one young man who would rather be rocking out than attending class, but that’s not unusual.
- Success. I think this is really connected to #1, but it goes beyond a job and into an attitude that encompasses all of life.
Here’s what our older men came up with:
- The birth of Jesus—yes, I got Jesus-juked by the men in chapel (if you don’t know what a Jesus-juke is, read about it here).
- Our kids’ laughter. I agree, nothing delights me quite like hearing my own kids laughing when they don’t know I can hear them.
- A healthy family. We live in a world with so much sickness and disease, sometimes it feels as though it will never end. A healthy family can be a real joy to those of us with sickos in the family. Wait…that didn’t come out right…
- A relationship with God—okay, another Jesus-juke, and they were trying to jump into my sermon notes.
- Healthy mothers—I think this one was spawned from one dad who was at church with his sons and mom was home recovering. Being a single parent is always tough—add on the responsibility of being a care-giver for a spouse or adult parent and the burden multiplies.
And here’s what our women came up with:
- Making others happy. I think the women are much more altruistic than we are (at least that’s how it is in my marriage!).
- Being more involved in church. These ladies really know how to push all the right buttons for the pastor. I see some new ministries and leaders developing here!
- Bood weather. If you’re the kind of person who is affected by weather changes, this could be a BIG deal for your sense of joy.
- Exercising. I’m not sure if exercise would give ME joy, but I sure do enjoy the benefits of it.
- The little things in life. The ladies wouldn’t get specific about WHICH little things, but apparently it’s these little things that bring them joy.
Were these close to what you came up with?
The problem with most of these answers we come up with that our idea of joy is often connected to temporary things. None of them is permanent. Cold weather, bills, people, health, and good feelings all come and go. If we look to these things for our joy, then we’re always going to be chasing.
That kind of joy is a pipe dream.
It’s not the kind of joy we see in the Bible when Peter writes:
He has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you…. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while…you have been grieved by various trials. (1 Peter 1:3-6)
Finding joy in the middle of trials and tough time feels impossible, yet time and time again the Bible talks about joy in the midst of suffering. You see, from the Bible’s perspective, joy isn’t based on temporary things and events. Though such things might give us joy for a bit, they will eventually fade. It is when we are able to shift focus and take our eyes off of this world, and focus on what’s coming for us later, that we can know joy no matter what we face in this life.
Real joy is rooted not in our circumstances but in God and his activity. He has worked in the past, he works in our lives now, and he has promised us a better tomorrow. We may not see that better tomorrow in this life, but Christian faith realizes that there is more to life than this flesh and blood.
Joy is about holding on to our eternal circumstances over our temporary trials.
I might not know what you’re going through. It may be excruciating. But we know and believe that one day we will rest easy in the presence of Yahweh. All the wrongs will be made right. All the hurts will be healed. We will know a permanent and lasting joy unlike anything we have ever experienced.
Until that day, that hope anchors us here and now. May we learn to say with the apostle Paul:
I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. (Philippians 4:11)
Amen.
Related Posts:
– Discover Your Key to Happiness
- The Book of James: The Cool Kids Club (James 2:1-13) - August 18, 2024
- The Book of James: Listen Up, Shut Up, and Simmer Down (James 1:19-27) - July 26, 2024
- The Book of James: Surviving the Tough Times - July 19, 2024
