Text for the Week: Talk About Joy!

Scripture: Philippians 4:4-7

⁴ Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. ⁵ Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. ⁶ Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Questions

1. What is the connection between gentleness and joy?
2. There is a contrast between anxiety and prayer and thanksgiving in this passage what does anxiety mean here and how is it overcome through prayer?
3. What is the connection between rejoicing and peace?

Background

Related Scriptures: Psalm 16; John 15:1-11, Romans 12:14-21; Colossians 1:11, James 1:2

Paul’s repetition of “rejoice” in verse 4 implies both that the Philippians were probably having difficulty with rejoicing and so needed a strong reminder, and that rejoicing is an essential part of the Christian journey.

“Joy” and “rejoice” are complicated terms in the Bible with a variety of senses, they can be an emotional response to situations, a chosen pattern of behavior, or one of God’s gifts that is expanded through acceptance.

Joy is a response to life thus joy can result from people and situations and where we root our joy impacts how we experience it in the world.

I’m the Old Testament joy and rejoicing were used to describe community celebrations like weddings, harvests,

Reflection

What does joy mean to you and where do you find it? This is a question that I have been pondering for years. I can remember that joy is distinct from happiness, that happiness is a response to life’s circumstances, but joy is something deeper that transcends life’s volatile nature. I’m not convinced this notion is wrong, but I don’t know if it’s completely adequate to explain our experiences in the world. To begin with, joy is intimately connected to peace, joy is our response to peace in our lives. Peace, as I said last week, is well-being physical, emotional, and spiritual. Peace is the state of harmony and rest where we understand that we are in a safe position and want for nothing. Joy accompanies peace, it is the state of exuberance or exaltation that comes from the peace in life.

In the Old Testament joy was associated with three major events weddings, harvests, and God’s deliverance from enemies. Joy and rejoicing were associated with the festivals giving when communities experienced the peace and well-being associated with God’s care. Joy was not simply an inner feeling that someone naturally experienced, joy was a response to the situation of the world, much like how I have previously described happiness. Even great psalms of joy in the Old Testament, like Psalm 16, seem to reflect a response to the good of life rather than a deep abiding condition as I have often heard joy described. And this makes me wonder how is it that Paul can describe “joy” among the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5. Paul tells us that we are to share the joy of those rejoicing, but in the same breath he recognizes that some are not rejoicing and those individuals we need to grieve with. If Paul can recognize that many are not rejoicing, how is it that we can expect joy to be a gift of the Holy Spirit present in believers?

Joy is exuberance directed outward because of someone or something happening in our lives for which we feel excited or grateful. Thus, for Christians true joy is directed toward God for all the blessings in our lives, like the provision and care we experience. Joy, then is a natural part of the Christian journey as we learn to encounter God in the day-to-day blessings of our lives. As we begin to recognize the glimpses of peace in our lives and attribute them to God we grow in joy.  Joy results from a continual mediation on the source of our well-being. But what about those individuals who feel no peace, who seemingly have nothing to be joyous about, where do they find Joy?

Should we really expect people to have joy when all they see is hardship, darkness, or trouble in life? Can we expect people to find joy when they have no peace in their world? This is where the previous themes of Advent come into play, namely the first week—hope. We all have hope even in the darkest parts of life our hope is secured in Jesus. We know that in Jesus we will see the restoration and renewal of creation. This hope may not be much for some individuals who are dealing with tremendous adversity, but it is something. It may be difficult for some people to focus on this hope and thus to have great joy, even during Christmas, but there is still a place for joy. This is why Paul tells us to sit in sorrow with those who are experiencing sorrow, so that we can understand one another and be heard when we say there is still hope. So often at Christmas we talk about spreading the joy of the season, but all that seems to mean is trying to spread a smile, through a cookie tray.  Helping others who are hurting find joy is a difficult task and needs to be approached cautiously, but it is important. For some, even Christmas brings little joy because it is a reminder of loss and hardship. This is where being present with a person and helping them see the future hope of the resurrection can be important. Because in this they can catch two glimpses of joy, a future where Jesus restores the world and a friend who will bring light to their darkness.

The joy of the Christmas season for many might be a family, friends, and fun but we are supposed to reflect on these gifts and allow them to take us to God’s provision. And as we reflect on God’s provision and allow our joy to go deeper and increase. As our joy increases we will connect directly to God and begin to learn how our joy can bring more peace into the world. This is why Paul can say joy is a fruit of the Spirit, because it is a quality that grows in us as we nurture it. As we find the little moments of peace and rejoice in those moments we give God an opportunity to move in us and increase our joy. This joy can spread to the world around us as they see us respond to life’s circumstances with delight and resilience. Our unshakable faith will be demonstrated in our ability to rejoice in God even when the world around us fails us. When we begin to understand the joy of the holidays being rooted in God and that we are seeking God in them then our joy will not diminish when the festivities are over but will continue because we recognize the hope and peace in our world were not limited to the celebrations but continue throughout our lives. Instead of Christmas being the highlight of our happiness it will become the foundation of our growth in joy. Our celebrations will continue because we will see the peace of God continuing to be on display in the world and we will continue to connect with that peace in ways that will allow our joy to increase and become an example for others in their own desperate need for celebrations and joy. The joy that God gives us is contagious because it is rooted in the Holy Spirit’s movement in our lives and as we nurture that joy we can spread it through the world this Christmas season.