Choose Joy

Choose Joy

Why even tell us to rejoice? And why say it twice? Isn’t that like hearing your doctor say, “I need you to hold off on the kale and broccoli and instead increase your intake of pizza and fries”? We are invited to escape the hot and searing sands of discouragement and wade into the cool water of joy. Why say it? Because our lives are difficult, joy is easy to overlook. Because we miss it when we make it our aim. We also get some awesome payoffs for being grumpy.

Joy Defined

Joy is the “I found it feeling.” It's described in Luke 15 where three different people find joy. A shepherd loses a sheep and so leaves the 99 and finds the one… The result is joy. A lady loses her silver, turns the house upside down, and finally finds it. Anyone who has found their cell phone or wallet knows exactly how she felt. That's joy. A father lost his son to greed and lust. I'm sure this father scanned the horizon every time he looked up. Finally, he sees his son returning! It's time for an outrageous joyful celebration.

Joy is in the Lord

The authentic kind of joy we are looking for is "in the Lord." Joy is not a goal. Joy is a byproduct of the life we find in Him. It goes far beyond happy circumstances and finds expression even in challenging times. Our joy has its roots buried in God's providence and love for us.

What we've found

We have 3 important emotional needs met by life in Christ.

1. Security. We find freedom from feeling pathetic to knowing we are precious and prized. (John 3:16; Romans 8:32)

2. Significance. Our lives become more than pointless existence to become purposeful expressions of Christ's life in us. (Ephesians 2:7-10)

3. Strength. The feeling of being helpless and powerless is lost as we discover how incredibly powerful we are through Him. (Philippians 4:13; Luke 10:20)

Joy not determined by circumstances

Our joy isn’t determined by circumstances but instead by choice. We get to choose our attitudes and responses to situations. Our situations, regardless of how dire, do not force our attitude in a negative direction. We are capable of reframing our worst situations and knowing by faith that God is reversing even what is meant as evil to our benefit.

This is why Paul wrote, "Always be full of joy in the Lord." Paul has four resumes. A resume of issues (2 Corinthians 11:23-33), a resume of incompetence (1 Timothy 1:15, Acts 22:4), a resume of incarceration (Philippians 1:14, etc), and a resume of illness (2 Corinthians 12:7-10, Galatians 4:14). We have to offer our attention because none of us have circumstances quite so bad. If he can find joy where he was at, he is qualified to help us find joy in our situation.

It's Upside, Down Joy

Not only is our joy beyond circumstances, but it's also completely upside down.

As we place a high value on Christ-likeness, trouble that brings more of His likeness into our lives contributes to our joy. (James 1:2) As we become greedy for the confidence of trust, we let go of our need for comfort from trials.

Through the eyes of our faith, we know God can and actually does manipulate every situation to our benefit. (Romans 8:28)

When we endure, wait patiently, and refuse to buckle in battle, trouble doesn't weaken us. Instead, it strengthens us. We become resilient. Even better, we become antifragile. That is, stress strengthens saints. What exercise does to muscles, trouble does to believing Christians. As we learn to stand under tougher and tougher circumstances, we become less and less likely to break. The occasions for fear become the opportunity for faith to flourish. Faith not broken by battle is built by battle.

It's Joy "in the Lord"

How do we get in the Lord?

A common problem for us is knowing how and with certainty that we are in the Lord.

We are in the Lord when we turn to God through Christ for salvation. When we believe it, we receive it.

• “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved" Acts 16:31. (Also see Ephesians 2:8-9)

• For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved. Romans 10:10

• “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

Isn't there something I need to "do"?

No. There is no work to get salvation, there is only work because we got salvation. Work is "evidence of salvation" and not the "earning of salvation." Salvation must be a gift so God alone gets total credit.

• God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. [9] Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. Ephesians 2:8-9

Are you in the Lord?

If you aren't clear about the answer, I encourage you to get clear at all costs. There is no peace without this answer.

How do we know for sure?

If you've ever struggled with doubts (and many of us have), you will appreciate this.

9 Ways to know you're in the Lord.

1. You feel drawn to Him.

This is readily understandable and perhaps the best and most reliable indicator that we truly are believers.

Feeling drawn is convincing proof that God has and is bringing us to faith.

The good news that we can have eternal life when we believe that Jesus, the Son of God, died for our sins and rose again is simple enough that even children can grasp the concept. The problem is this; unless God opens our eyes to it and draws us in, we will not and can not feel inclined to take up the offer of salvation.

We are spiritually blind and unable to understand the message.

• If the Good News we preach is hidden behind a veil, it is hidden only from people who are perishing. [4] Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.2 Corinthians 4:3-4 (underlining emphasis is mine)

People know the truth about God. The existence of the universe and every atom it contains expressly announces a creator. However, if God doesn’t draw them, even the most brilliant of men remain confused about whether or not He truly exists.

• But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness. [19] They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. [20] For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God. [21] Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. [22] Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools. [23] And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles. Romans 1:18-23 (underlining emphasis is mine)

2. We have engaged in the faith/repentance act

When we come to faith in Christ we are both coming in faith and repentance. Faith means to “turn towards” and repentance means to “turn away from.” We are turning away from a life of sin and turning to life in Christ. It’s the same turn from two different points of view. We cannot turn toward Christ without having turned from sin. You can’t take your first step away from the north pole without traveling toward the south pole. In the same way, one can’t turn from sin without turning towards faith in Christ. A boat cannot depart one shore without also traveling toward the other shore. It's not a matter of making a point-to-point perfect path but instead a matter of direction. I don't know any details about you, but I believe the belief that moved you to read this far is faith enough to breed confidence in your heart.

3. We refuse other “back up” plans

Salvation in Christ is purely a matter of faith or trust. We express faith in almost every waking hour of the day. We sit in chairs we've never sat in before. We accept food from strangers in restaurants. Everyone will decide what they do with their knowledge of God. Trust Him, fear Him, deny Him, fight Him.

In the end, it is our faith in the grace of Christ alone that saves us. Not faith plus anything. Trusting anything else nullifies faith. It's not faith plus being better or doing better... just in case... or Jesus and Buddha... just in case... No backup. No net. Full trust in God's only plan. (John 14:6)

4. We feel remorse about sin.

Because God the Holy Spirit lives inside all believers, all believers feel remorse about their disobedience. (Ephesians 4:30)

5. We can recognize a new nature.

We have an impulse to be right and do right by God. Something in us is drawn to do what is right. For those of us who came to faith early in life, this may be difficult to recognize. (Romans 8:12-16)

6. It is evidenced by our behavior.

Until we die, we continue to be hassled by our sinful nature. We don’t live perfectly but there is a trail of evidence we can point to. (Matthew 3:8, 13:23; Romans 7:4; Galatians 5:22-23; Philippians 1:11)

7. We have the ability to say “no” to sin.

We have the ability to refuse temptation and resist the urge of our flesh to do wrong. It is now within our control. We are not compelled to sin. (Romans 8:9)

8. We are aware of our unrighteousness and need.

We can’t rest on the merit of our good behavior. We are keenly aware of our need for forgiveness. (Romans 6:17-23)

9. The Holy Spirit affirms our place in God

When we enter this faith relationship with Jesus Christ, God the Holy Spirit begins to live in us. The Spirit lives in us in order to guide us and to affirm our right standing with God. The problem of 21st- century believers is that we have so many temptations to neglect periods of quiet and solitude. It is necessary for us to practice a quiet mind to hear what God the Holy Spirit is saying to us. (Romans 8:14-17; 2 Corinthians 1:21-22)

What benefits do we have in the Lord? Four JARS

• Justification. Our legal standing before God is now registered as "Not Guilty." (Romans 8:1)

• Adoption. We have value because we have been chosen by God. (Ephesians 1:5) See here.

• Regeneration. We are changed. New appetites and desires. (Romans 8:12-16)

• Sanctification. We're not perfect, but we're on our way. (Philippians 3:12)

How to stop the self-sabotage and maintain daily joy?

• Chose joy - Don't let circumstances chose for you.

• Manage expectations - Expect trouble and reassign it to an attitude of joy. (Matthew 6:34)

• Mind the beginning and end of every day. Start and end your day with joy. Give the news a break.

• Avoid toxic, joy defeating people and information sources. Evaluate your social network feeds.

• Plug into sources of joy and encouragement.

• Joy is like love in this respect; to get more, you need to give more of it away.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture references:

2 Corinthians 11:22-33 NLT

Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I. [23] Are they servants of Christ? I know I sound like a madman, but I have served him far more! I have worked harder, been put in prison more often, been whipped times without number, and faced death again and again. [24] Five different times the Jewish leaders gave me thirty-nine lashes. [25] Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. Once I spent a whole night and a day adrift at sea. [26] I have traveled on many long journeys. I have faced danger from rivers and from robbers. I have faced danger from my own people, the Jews, as well as from the Gentiles. I have faced danger in the cities, in the deserts, and on the seas. And I have faced danger from men who claim to be believers but are not. [27] I have worked hard and long, enduring many sleepless nights. I have been hungry and thirsty and have often gone without food. I have shivered in the cold, without enough clothing to keep me warm. [28] Then, besides all this, I have the daily burden of my concern for all the churches. [29] Who is weak without my feeling that weakness? Who is led astray, and I do not burn with anger? [30] If I must boast, I would rather boast about the things that show how weak I am. [31] God, the Father of our Lord Jesus, who is worthy of eternal praise, knows I am not lying. [32] When I was in Damascus, the governor under King Aretas kept guards at the city gates to catch me. [33] I had to be lowered in a basket through a window in the city wall to escape from him.

1 Timothy 1:15 NLT

This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”—and I am the worst of them all.

Acts 22:4 NLT

And I persecuted the followers of the Way, hounding some to death, arresting both men and women and throwing them in prison.