[Transcript of a midweek message published by Horley Baptist Church on YouTube[1], December 2020]
The Bible seems to suggest that followers of Jesus should be filled with joy – that they should be happy all the time! Is that possible or even realistic? Should Christians have permanent grins on their faces?
See, in the Bible it talks about the followers of Jesus being full of an inexpressible joy, that somehow being a follower of Jesus Christ makes you more joyful than anyone else. In fact James – that’s Jesus’s brother – wrote in his letter that can you should consider it pure joy whenever you face trials of many kinds. I mean, that’s just crazy, isn’t it? That regardless of what is going on in your life, particularly if you’re going through difficult times, that you should be joyful about it. Does that mean that as Christians we should walk around with a big smile on our face all the time? Is it wrong to be sad?
[01:03] Joy is defined as being happy. That is what joy is and happiness, well it’s an emotion and I don’t have really any control over my emotions. I can’t decide to be happy despite sad circumstances any more than I can decide not to be scared if I get chased by a big bear (not that’s ever happened). I mean, can God really expect me to live a life full of joy?
[01:30] Perhaps the answer can be found if we carry on reading those verses from James. In James chapter one verse two it says “Consider it pure joy whenever you face trials of many kinds” but it continues in verse three “because you know the testing of your faith produces perseverance”. See, I think one of the key factors to living a joyful life is the knowledge that God is in control, that God has our best interests at heart and through the trials that we may face in life actually there’s an opportunity there for God to shape us, to refine us, to make us better reflect his image, to mature into a Christ-like person.
[02:27] I mean that’s okay, I can perhaps intellectualize the need to feel joyful, maybe I could have a debate with myself and win the argument that this is all for my own good, but in reality I still can’t feel joy even if intellectually I can argue that I should.
[02:48] Well, that’s where actually the Holy Spirit steps in. In Galatians it tells us that the fruit of the Holy Spirit, the fruit of having God living within us by his Holy Spirit is love and joy amongst many other things. That actually one of the symptoms, the side effects, of welcoming Jesus into our hearts and being filled with the Holy Spirit is that we gain joy. Actually we have the emotion of joy, it’s not just an intellectual thing but through the Holy Spirit, through the gifts of God, we can change our emotional state. As our spirit, our soul, partners with God’s spirits then we can have a deep joy, a happiness despite our circumstance.
[03:47] Does that mean I’m walking around happy all the time? No it’s not about that superficial external happiness, it’s not about feeling jolly all the time, but actually I think it’s linked to a security in our future, our hope for the future through Jesus, our faith, that is going to happen and therefore a happiness, a joy, that regardless of what life may throw at me I am secure and safe in my Father’s arms.
[1] YouTube link: Advent Episode 3 – Can I Find Joy In My Life?
Bible references: James ch 1 v2-3, Galatians ch 5 v22
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Contributed by Martin Shorey; © Martin Shorey