Tears come to us all. They accompany poor health, friction with people, unresolved sins and wrongs, economic hardship, death, floods and fires, culture and politics, the list could go on into eternity. Just one example, my community in SoCal is facing 8 of 10 days with temps over 100, maxing at 109. Three days ago, our power went out in the middle of the day for four hours—luckily we were on our way to the beach. But may we remember that Jesus said troubles come with breathing in John 16:33. His brother James told us to focus on joy “when” trials come, not “if,” in James 1:2.
Sounds impossible, doesn’t it, to rejoice in pain? But if our joy depends on our outward conditions, then joy will be conditional, outside our control. And too often, quite infrequent. Notice the unhappy face image at the top? Happiness depends on what’s happening…duh. Good stuff, we’re happy. Bad stuff, we’re unhappy. I would be very happy if my new poetry book, “Outdoor Adventures, Sacred Trails” sold 10,000 copies; unhappy if it sold 10. But James mentioned joy, not happiness. They differ.
Very simply, joy is believing (and feeling and acting like) that the reasons to be excited about a situation or life are greater than the reasons to feel defeated, discouraged, and disappointed. How can we do that? By focusing on something greater: God’s love and presence and support in every dimension of life. David understood that, “You will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand” (Psalm 16:11). Joy comes from realizing the awesome, transcendent Creator lives in us, and he brings the joy inherent in his nature.
God would never tantalize us by commanding something impossible, so with that concept, take a deep dive into Philippians 4:4, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” Pretty emphatic, isn’t it? So, in practice and not just in either theory or theology, how can we accomplish the impossible? By transforming how we think. By changing our mental response to hard times.
Verse 6 continues the thought, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything” (The Message). Two options confront us in problems: we worry or we pray. The choice we make to turn to God moves us from worry and despair to trust in him. Verses 8 and 9 get more explicit about how to accomplish this, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me — put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”
Or, our mind drives our joy.
We replace the despair with joy in the presence of God. That isn’t naivete, that we pretend the problems don’t exist. We acknowledge them, their reality, the damage they can bring, and we deal with them, BUT with God’s presence.
When we do, we can smile through the tears, assured of God’s presence.
Kick Starting the Application
What are your thoughts on joy being a chosen response—both before and after the post? What makes choosing joy difficult for you? What helps you choose joy?