Find the Joy
I admire comedians. As a pastor, there aren’t many other professions where people must ramble on and hold an audience’s attention. For the comedian, there is a pressure to be funny. They can get up there and ramble but they have to make people laugh, otherwise they’ve failed. If I tell a joke in a sermon then it’s just a cute little additive that caught people by surprise, it’s not the expectation (sometimes I wonder what people expect when I get up there).
As I am digging through scripture, my main objective is to convey to my listeners what God has said. I want to lead people into further knowledge, love of God, and how his word applies to their lives.
A comedian's job is to look at life and find the funny. The question they’re asking is how do I look at this and make it something people can laugh about? They're excavating life to find the funny.
Christians, preachers or not, have a similar job. The job is not to find the funny but to find the joy. Whatever life throws at us, wherever we may find ourselves, through the ups and the downs, we are called to find the joy.
This is important for us. If we believe the lie that joy can only be found when things are good, then we are in trouble. A little look at what the Bible says is true:
James 1:2-3: Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.
Matthew 10:22: You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.
Revelation 2:10: Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown.
Suffering is a part of the Christian life. James tells us to consider it pure joy (HOW SWAY?). Jesus tells the church in Smyrna, not to be afraid when the day comes.
Do you know what else is a part of the Christian life? The mundane. The boring. The day-to-day blandness that comes with our routines.
Plenty of ink has been spilled on finding joy in suffering but what about in the ordinary? Finding joy in the same oatmeal you have every morning. On that tired commute to work. In that same group of friends who never seem to change. The ordinariness of life.
What about finding joy in the Christian life when the early zeal has faded, life has set in, and you might even be doubting where you stand with Jesus?
This is the real fight.
Life isn’t all epic battles and big sweeping moments, it’s the everyday ordinary. I have seen this thing happen with many Christians where we don’t know what to do when life gets ordinary. We miss the excitement of the early days so we start searching out new ways to be excited by Jesus. We look for new doctrines and special revelations.
I’ve seen a couple of streams of thought on this. Some people say you should always be joyful and excited no matter what because of victory in Jesus. I think this view fails to account for real life. Life is hard, things aren’t always joyful. We experience very real hurt and pain that walks with us for as long as we live.
The other stream of thought says if you’re not joyful, you’re not loving Jesus enough. This blames us for not being good enough Christians. It makes us feel inadequate as though we don’t have enough of that already.
Gratitude
Gratitude journals are really popular right now. There’s good science behind it. Research shows that the practice of being grateful leads to us being more mentally and emotionally healthy.
I love it when science catches up to what God has always said is true. This is one of the main reasons we should start our prayers with gratitude, thanking God for who he is and what he has done. It sets our heart posture.
Can we be thankful for the ordinary? Can we slow down enough to stop and smell the roses to appreciate that they are here and that is a beautiful act of God?
The sun rises every day (unless you’re in the Night Country), how often do we slow down and thank God for the sunshine?
Finding the joy in the ordinary will come with the cultivation of a grateful heart. May we take small steps each day toward this. Lord knows I need to.
I’m too prone to grumbling and complaining. I’m good at pointing out the problems (which can be an asset) but bad at being thankful. I don’t spend nearly as much time as I should thinking about or resting in the joy that is found at the cross.
The Joy of the Cross
Hebrews 12:2 says fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God
Think about that. Jesus knew there would be joy in this pain. Jesus knew that the unbearable, unimaginable torture he was set to endure would lead to the greatest joy.
Can we find joy in our ordinary? Thank God as you wash the dishes, drive to work, and do the bedtime routine.
There will come a day when sadness is undone and we won’t have to search for or fight for joy but until that day, may we pursue joy with all that we have because in many ways it is the key to life.