Am I Happy?
Are you happy? Are we supposed to be? We are constantly being encouraged by our society to focus on our own ‘happiness’. Too often, this means an unhealthy focus on how we ‘feel’ about ourselves and our world. We are told, ‘Don’t worry, Be happy!’
Emotions have become the standard by which many people gauge their lives. I have heard of some contemporary wedding vows that have replaced, ‘till death do us part’, with, ‘until love shall cease’, meaning emotional, romantic love! Far too often today the validity of a marriage is gauged by how the couple feels it fulfills them, how ‘happy’ it makes them feel. Those of us who have been married beyond the 2 years many choose to opt out of marriage by, have come to know that healthy long lasting marriages have to go down much deeper than feelings of ‘happiness’.
Even we as Christians can be swept up in the ‘pursuit of happiness’ that our world spends so much time focusing on. What compounds the matter is we are told, even by some in the Christian world, to tap into our own ability to make ourselves happy…in short, we can and should be focused on fulfilling ourselves, and what makes us ‘happy’!
Happiness Or Joy?
Scripture never focuses the believer on ‘happiness’. However, God’s Word constantly encourages us to live with ‘joy’! And there is a difference. If we live just to be ‘happy’, we will be discouraged and defeated!
I like what Oswald Chambers says about the difference…
’The Bible nowhere speaks about a “happy” Christian; it talks plentifully of joy. Happiness depends on things that happen, and may sometimes be an insult: joyfulness is never touched by external conditions, and a joyful heart is never an insult.’
(Citation: Oswald Chambers in The Shadow of an Agony. Christianity Today, Vol. 37, no. 13.)
Biblical, spiritual joy, is beyond emotional happiness. It is a gladness and ‘delight in life that runs deeper than pain or pleasure’. (Evangelical Dictionary of Theology; C. Davis, p.588) It is deeper than our circumstances or feelings. And it is above and beyond anything we could produce ourselves.
Real Joy is a Gift from God!
The words of Nehemiah 8:10 tell us much about real, spiritual Joy, it says; “The Joy of the Lord is our Strength!’
This verse tells us that the source of joy, real spiritual gladness and delight, comes as a Gift From God! It is the joy of the Lord! We cannot manufacture it ourselves no matter how much we try…or buy. It also tells us that joy is more than merely something the Lord gives to us…He Himself is our joy! It is a joy that flows from His very presence.
The Joy of Jesus
The joy of the Lord is ‘the Joy of Jesus’. It comes from a personal relationship with Him; a joy that is full and readily available to all those who trust in Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord, who love Him, and obey Him. Jesus Himself said;
“If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” (John 15:10-11)
The joy of knowing Jesus is unique, supernatural, unbelievable, and beyond the usual! In fact, that may be why we as Christians so often live beneath it…it seems too supernatural, and unbelievable…we find it hard to experience it on our own…it’s foreign to us!
The only way to know real, deep, spiritual, life changing, confident joy, is to know Jesus Christ, and grow in our relationship with Him!
The Strength of God’s Joy
Nehemiah 8:10 also tells us that, ‘the joy of the Lord is our strength’, or, our stronghold and fortress. Real joy is our strength and security because it is rooted in a real relationship with an all powerful, sovereign God. And it is Jesus Christ that mediates God’s powerful strength and joy to His children. That’s why the Apostle Paul could give confidence to every believer when he said;
“Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us..” (Eph. 3:20)
There is a confidence, strength and joy to our faith that can’t be experienced any other way than through knowing God personally through Jesus Christ!
The Joy of the Spirit
Joy is an important evidence of the Spirit’s presence in a believer’s life. Joy is one of the characteristics of the Kingdom of God (Rom. 14:17).
Joy is also a fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22). It is the product of the Spirit’s work of transformation in the life of the believer in Christ. True believers will know joy in the Holy Spirit. And they will be known for it by others as well.
The Testimony of Joy
The Joy of the Lord is one of the greatest evidences of our Christian faith! It is one of those qualities of the Christian life that can stand out the most in a world like this…one full of sorrow, struggle, suffering and pain.
When Christians have Joy…real Spirit led Joy, others can be, and often are, mystified, bewildered, and even incredulous. Christians who are joyful in the midst of hardship can often hear from others, ‘How can you be so content, confident, at ease, and even joyful?’
Believers are often accused by others of being ‘Deny-ers’…those who aren’t really facing up to the reality of life’s difficulties. I don’t blame them! Too often, others hear from us pat answers and glibly recited verses to life’s pains and struggles. It sounds unreal to them, and it is often unreal to us too!
And this is where Joy, real Joy, the Joy of the Lord, comes in. If we know Christ intimately we can demonstrate a joyful strength that is literally, ‘Out of this World!
The world needs to see Christians with real, unshakeable joy! They need to see people who ‘live in this world’, but who have a joy that’s ‘not of this world’! It really demonstrates the truth about who Jesus is, and what He has done for us. Jesus really makes a difference, and our joy should demonstrate it.
Rejoice by Choice…Always!
Paul said, ‘Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!’ (Phil. 4:4).
We may well ask, “How can we rejoice, in view of all the struggles of life? The answer lies with the phrase, ‘in the Lord’. We must have and maintain a healthy daily link to Christ if we are experience His joy!
Yes, we can really rejoice always! But, we must also choose to! No matter what may come our way, we can and must… Rejoice by Choice! The Christian is to maintain a spirit of joy in the Lord. We are not immune to sorrow, nor should we be insensitive to the troubles of others; yet we can and will experience the inner joy of Jesus, if we maintain our walk with Him!
We are talking about real Joy, something that is beyond ‘happiness’, and the circumstances of life. That’s why Habakkuk could say this…
‘Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior.’ (Hab. 3:17-19)
Confident Joy
How can you and I rejoice in the Lord always…no matter what? Because He can bless our lives with ‘untouchables’…things like, salvation, that cannot be changed or disturbed by even the worst that life, death, and Satan himself can throw at us. God really does ‘cause all things to work together for the good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.’ We can have a confident joy in Christ…no matter what! Read Romans 8:28-39 and see how far our confidence in Christ can go. Confidence in Christ should fuel every believer’s hope and joy!
Suffering with Gladness
You may remember this story of a missionary couple named the Burnham’s who were held hostage in the Philippines. The Burnham’s were abducted by Muslim guerrillas on the Philippine island of Palawan in May 2001. Martin Burnham, 42, kept an attitude of ‘serving the Lord with gladness’ throughout the 376 days he and his wife, Gracia, 43, were held captive by the Abu Sayyaf terrorist group.
Just before a Philippine military raid on the kidnappers that led to Martin’s death and Gracia’s freedom, the two huddled together in a hammock under a makeshift tent. “Martin and Gracia had really been thinking that there would be a chance that they would not make it out alive,” said Martin’s brother, Doug, relying on a phone conversation with Gracia. “Martin said to Gracia, ‘The Bible says to serve the Lord with gladness. Let’s go out all the way. Let’s serve him all the way with gladness.’”
The two then prayed in their hammock, recited Scripture verses to each other, and sang. They laid down to rest. Then the rescue assault began and bullets began to fly, puncturing Gracia’s leg and Martin’s chest…and he died.
(Citation: Ted Olsen, “Martin Burnham Went Out Serving With Gladness” ChristianityToday.com(6-10-02)
Believer, Can we go out all the way…with joy and gladness!
Do You Know Joy?
Do you know Jesus Christ personally? Do you know the joy of the Lord? If you don’t have the kind of joy we’ve talked about, you can! You can know the joy of Jesus today! He Himself said; ‘these things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” Open your heart to Him in repentance and faith. Recognize your sinful separation from God and ask Him to be merciful to you. Respond to His love, grace and mercy demonstrated on the Cross of Christ. Trust in Christ alone for your salvation. Let Him empty you of self-centeredness and self-fulfilment. Let Him fill you with His love and joy through His Holy Spirit.
Do you know the Joy of Jesus today? If so, are you able to ‘serve the Lord with gladness’, no matter what you are experiencing today? You can!
Remember: ‘The Joy of the Lord is your Strength!’
We really can ‘Live Beyond Happiness!’
Pastor Jim