How to Win in the Search For Joy

This morning as I was spending my time in study with God’s Word, the idea of joy was brought to light. I went to bed with feelings of heaviness and depression seeking to overwhelm me. Many of you can relate. For me, it wasn’t as if there was some terrible event lurking at my door, it was just a result of being tired and triggered by a small irritant, too minor to even mention. But life wears on a person. I know that the day to day life of work, kids, and keeping up the house, is for so many, harder than it would seem. So, the battle for the Christian to have and maintain joy, is real and difficult. And we have an enemy, the devil, always lurking around casting little grenades of tensions that will blow up our joy, if we are not careful.

The Christian life is a life of warfare. We are in a battle every day. This is why we are instructed in Ephesians 6:11 to “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.” One of his schemes, is to be sure we do not live with joy.

But the devil isn’t just running loose and wreaking havoc upon us unfettered. I don’t have time to fully develop the doctrine of God’s sovereignty here, every Christian needs to search and study the scriptures to gain a better grasp on this doctrine and how it applies to suffering. For me personally, it was the Book of Job that illuminated this area in my life. Understanding the doctrines of sovereignty and suffering is the key to our being able to live in joy. Since we know that without faith it is impossible to please God, Hebrews 11:6, faith is an imperative to the Christian walk. And since joy is different than happiness, which depends on circumstance, joy requires faith. It means that in spite of suffering and pain, we trust in God so much, that we do not turn from Him with anger and bitterness when He allows things to happen that we do not like.

When we look at the life and the death of Jesus, we find something going on that doesn’t fit with our concepts of joy. Listen to author of Hebrews as he shows us an amazing aspect of the death of Jesus.

Hebrews 12:2
 …keeping our eyes on Jesus, the source and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that lay before Him endured a cross and despised the shame and has sat down at the right hand of God’s throne.

Jesus endured the cross for the joy that lay before Him. What could possibly lay before Him in the slow and painful death He would face on the cross that would bring joy? The answer is that the result of His death, would be His glorification, as He knew that He would die, be resurrected, and ascend back to the glory He left to sit down at the right hand of God’s throne.

My friends, we have the same hope for our Christian lives. As we live out this life, we will have troubles. Sorrow will come our way. Suffering of one form or another is inevitable. But as we face this life and its end, death will come. But Jesus has overcome death and just like Jesus, we will ascend to be with God. We shall dwell in the presence of the glory of Almighty God. This means we have reason to endure for the joy set before us. It means every day, whatever we face, we have reason to have joy.

Yet, here we are, struggling day to day to have joy. What must we do? The answer is in His Word.

Psalm 119:111
Your testimonies are my heritage forever, for they are the joy of my heart.

Jeremiah 15:16
Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name, O LORD, God of hosts.

Step one is to read His Word. Feast on it. Devour it. It is filled with the hope of our salvation.

John 16:24
Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.

Step two is to pray. Ask God in the name of Jesus to make your joy full. We are told to pray without ceasing, so pray without ceasing. Ask God to give you joy, even in the midst of pain and suffering.

Psalm 100:1-2

Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth!  Serve the LORD with gladness! Come into his presence with singing!

Step three is to serve God and do it with singing. Your church has plenty of opportunities to serve in and the world is filled with needs. Nothing makes you forget your own troubles more than helping someone with theirs.

Philippians 2:17-18
Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all.  Likewise you also should be glad and rejoice with me.

Ephesians 5:18-19
 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart.

Step four is fellowship. Go to church. Hang out with fellow Christians. Encourage and be encouraged with other believers. We need each other.

James 1:2-4
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.  And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

Step five may be the hardest step. But it can be accomplished if we walk in the Spirit and we follow the other steps. Count it joy, all joy, even in the trials of life. Even in our worst pain and our darkest night, we can call it joy because we can know it is a test of our faith. God would not test our faith if we had none. Remember that you are a child of God. That is enough to make it all worth bearing.

The Bible has much more to say on joy. Seek it out by seeking out Jesus.

I leave you with one more scripture. It is our prayer for each other.

Romans 15:13
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

God Bless!