Joy

I want to talk about joy and the lack of it I see in our society. Before I go on let's get our terms straight. I'm not talking about dishwashing detergent and I'm not talking about the joy of sex. I'm talking about the word joy as used in the Bible. A good example is:

Isaiah 44:23

Sing for joy, O heavens, for the Lord has done this; shout aloud, O earth beneath. Burst into song, you mountains, for the Lord has redeemed Jacob, he displays his glory in Israel.

That's the kind of joy I want to talk about. The dictionary defines joy as "the emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something GOOD". Notice the use of the word good. In my opinion, that is the key point. Not just pleasure, which the dictionary defines as "enjoyment or satisfaction derived from what is to one's liking", not pleasure, but JOY. The difference is goodness. Pleasure can be caused by anything, and in my opinion is overrated. Joy is created by doing something good and that makes all the difference. I want to focus on these two words, joy, which is caused by goodness, and pleasure, which, for this discussion, isn't.

Lack of joy is a major problem. People run around frantically chasing pleasure, the next high. The problem lies in that they're looking for the wrong thing. Pleasure deceives; it tricks us into thinking it's what we need. If it sounds like an addiction, that's because it is, and one as deadly as any drug. In fact, drug use is kind of a caricature of pleasure in general. The kind of pleasure I'm talking about is not just to be found in substance abuse. It's also found in anything sinful: premarital sex, greed, drinking underage or to excess, abuse of power. Simpler things also fall into this category: betraying a friend, lying, shoplifting, and cheating, to name a few. The problem with all these things is that they are ultimately unfulfilling. All have their consequences that put an end to the pleasure.

Joy is different; its basis is in God. Once you have found joy you can keep it in your heart as long as you want to. True joy doesn't fade, doesn't tarnish. It sticks with you to lighten up even the darkest of days. There is simply no substitute. Joy can't be bottled, powdered or mass marketed. Real joy can't be sold for $19.95 on an infomercial; it can't be purchased with mere money. Joy can only be produced by a faithful and honest relationship with God. Once you have taken up your cross and followed God, joy can be found in abundance.

I have found joy in many places, both far and near, doing things both big and small. Helping a friend, doing an honest day's work, learning, teaching, the laughter of small children. All these things hold joy. I'ts simple: anything that is good and right holds joy. Unfortunately, simple does not equal easy. While finding joy can be easy, keeping it around is another matter. It sometimes means sacrifice. Doing right consistently often means taking a narrow rocky path, giving up things that have given pleasure in the past.

Matthew 7:13-14

Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

The path is hard but the rewards are many. Pleasure runs at the first sign of tragedy, but joy is able to stick around. Suffering and pleasure are incompatible; suffering and joy can exist in the same space. While on a mission trip with my church, a group of us were playing catch with a Frisbee. A friend and I were fighting for a throw, when I tripped over his leg. Not ankle snagging ankle; it was my hip pivoting over his thigh, so I fell quite a distance. We were also playing indoors, so when I hit, it was on linoleum that probably had only concrete underneath. All this and I didn't land with any grace at all. My hipbone hit hard, and before anything else. Stars swam across my vision, any harder and I might have blacked out. I was grimacing in pain for the rest of the afternoon. The bruise didn't appear for at least a day. It was the size of a tea saucer, not huge as bruises go, but it had quite a lump underneath. Even though I was in a lot of pain, I still had joy in my heart. Why? Because I was with good friends doing something I was proud of. It's a simple example, and keeping joy around when greater tragedy occurs is harder but through God anything is possible.

James 1:2-4

Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.

Indeed, I have found it to be true that there is more to be learned from difficulty than from ease. The difficulties are like a forge: they temper us and make us stronger. This is not to say that everyone perseveres in the face of suffering. Just like trying to temper a poorly made blade will cause it to shatter, a person unprepared for life will not thrive. Now be careful to see the distinction I have made in this metaphor. I believe that there is no such thing as a poorly made person. God will make sure that any of his children face only what they can handle; you just have to have faith. It's that faith and the Joy it brings which prepare a person for anything. God will provide the strength and support, if you provide the faith.

-Mixed Metaphor

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