“I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.”
John 15:11
When the year first started, I thought it was the Year of Prayer. “I’m going to learn to pray better, God! More effectively! From Your Word!”
Wah, wah, wah. Sometimes I wonder if, to God, I sound like Charlie Brown’s teacher.
“No,” He gently said. “This, Kirsten, is the year of joy.”
So this year has been a journey of joy. I was shocked at how many times God’s Word speaks about joy. He wants us to know how to have His joy! He wants to give it to us!
How essential joy is! Why would anyone who does not know Christ want to know Him if I don’t have real, authentic joy? Why do I expect them to want what I have… if I don’t want it?
Fighting for Your Joy
I have to fight for joy. Every minute of every day. The enemy of my soul will desperately try and keep me from having it any way he can. Do you know why? Because he knows how powerful a joyful follower of Christ is. He will relentlessly feed me thoughts that I can’t have joy because I don’t deserve it, or God doesn’t want to give it, or I have to earn it, or that God only has so much to go around. These are LIES. God is so, so very clear in His Word about this! Of course we don’t deserve it! Of course we cannot earn it! When has anything in God’s economy worked that way? He knows we are hopeless on our own. Christ died to give us all these things, because He knew we could never deserve or earn them. That is what makes it so amazing! He is gracious and abundant in His giving, and He never runs out. I dare you to go to your computer or phone and search the word “joy”. See what He says about it.
Does this mean we are meant to dance around in perfect happiness every day? Of course not. This kind of joy is tough. It is deep. It’s from God. It lives above circumstances. It goes the distance. Over the past 3 years, there has been a lot of pain and sadness in my life. Breast cancer, shocking deaths of two close family members, more than one divorce in my extended family that rocked all of us.
You may be surprised to hear that during this 4 year period, I have also experienced joy like I have never known. Does this mean that when bad things happen to us, we will just automatically have more joy? No, but when we share in Christ’s suffering and we accept what He allows to flow into our lives through His loving hand, (even the painful things that we do not understand) the pain of the suffering and the grief actually deepens our capacity for joy.
Receiving Your Joy
Joy is a gift from God, plain and simple. No worldly accomplishment or technique can “achieve” it. A gift just like our salvation, just like each step of our sanctification, just like each thought that is renewed, just like each wall that is taken down in our hearts, and just like each idol that is surrendered.
Joy is a gift that can’t be stored or hoarded. You experience it when it comes, or you miss out on it. Don’t try this at home, kids. I spent a whole lot of time trying to figure out how to “get it” on my timetable, and then how to “keep it”. No dice. Joy is a gift- a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22). All you can do is receive it.
We cannot produce joy, and we cannot hoard it. But we can make space in our life for God to provide it. As Christians, many of us believe that the more we “do” for God, the more we love Him. This is not true. When we rest, take times of quiet to be with God, take a walk to enjoy the birds singing or the beauty of nature, take time to reflect, set aside time to just “be” in the relationships which God has entrusted to us- we are creating space for joy. We are declaring our trust in God.
And friends, trust opens the floodgates of joy.
Memory verse:
“But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you.” (Psalm 5:11)
Prayer:
Thank you, Father, that You truly are the Giver of all good and perfect things! Thank You that You are so willing to abundantly pour Your gifts into our hearts. Help us to trust You enough to make space for the joy You yearn to give us, even in our struggles. Give us an understanding of how accepting the difficulties of life with a submissive heart deepens our capacity for joy. Show us how this looks in each of our lives. We love You, and it is in Your Holy Name that we pray all these things! Amen.
