Where’s the Beef JOY?!

• “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.” – John 15:11
• “And so the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people;” Luke 2:10

Our Maturity in Christ

I want to make it clear that I agree with what Jesus taught in Luke 10:27, “So he answered and said, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’” Our priority as Christ-followers is the very antithesis of our “Me-first” culture.

At the same time, I don’t want to ever lose sight of the fact that in God’s eyes I am His priority. He came for me and desires to have a deep, abiding relationship with me. However, as seen in the above verse and as detailed in Isaiah 6, the ideal is that we establish our relationship with God before we can be of much heavenly use to others.

In my last two posts, I categorized four different levels of maturity among genuine Christians. When a pastor preaches from the pulpit, he looks out over perhaps hundreds of people. In that audience, I surmise that it may be comprised of a few non-believers, some new believers, others more actively engaged in their faith, those who are living and looking more like Christ, and a few who have actually abandoned much to follow Christ. All, except the non-believer, have made genuine confessions of faith, are saved, but are in different places of the “working out our faith” journey. All continue to be drawn to go deeper in knowing their Savior.

So, my question for now is: What does our maturity in Christ have to do with our JOY as Christ followers? Where’s the Beef?

As we mature in our faith and the dynamic shifts from being about me to being more about Jesus/others, where does that leave us in experiencing joy in our lives? Is that part of our sacrifice that we completely lose ourselves and become void of personal joy? Was that the intention, and was that the example Jesus provided for us to follow?

Tidings of Comfort and Joy
The traditional Christmas carol, “God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen”, also known as “Tidings of Comfort and Joy,” looks to be based on Luke 2 and the Angel’s announcement of the coming of the Savior. The emphasis, though, is on “The Comforting News of Great Joy!” The question comes to mind as I look out across the Christian landscape: What do I see regarding comfort and Joy? What do I experience? What I do see in the Christian landscape are communities that are a bit lacking in one of these elements. In my opinion, the majority of the Christian experience I observe is quite good in terms of comfort, but perhaps not so much in terms of joy.

As we navigate life’s difficulties, we are there for one another – praying, consoling, and comforting each other through the pain from a fallen world. It is what we do as a community of believers. Our churches are spiritual hospitals where the damaged and hurting can find compassion and relief. Paul encourages us to comfort and edify one another, particularly emphasized in his letters to the Corinthians, as in 2 Corinthians 1:4, “who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” That is so good!

But, what about the JOY? Certainly, we know of joy. But, in my experience, it seems to be sporadic. Comfort would be an outcome of the Fruit of the Spirit, but Joy actually is the Fruit of the Spirit. Are we living lives of joy? Are we experiencing the thing Jesus referred to in Matthew 25:21, “the joy of the Lord?” The New Testament writers evoke the words “joy” and “rejoice” many more times than they do “comfort.”

Yet, my experience in the church is that many of us are still living lives of quiet desperation, much like the rest of the world. We struggle through life’s trials and tribulations and come together to comfort one another. That’s good, but how is that unique to what can be found in other communities?

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Dr. David Jeremiah, in his message, The Thousand Year Reign of Christ, comments, “Joy is the one thing that seems to be missing in all the world today. There is an absence of true joy even among God’s people.”

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New Covenant Joy
I have spent some time looking into the examples of Joy and Rejoicing in the New Testament. What are the sources of our Joy and the reasons for our rejoicing?

The New Testament word for “Joy” is Charan, meaning a gladness or a source of joy. It originates from the Greek verb and root word “Chairó,” meaning cheerfulness, calm delight, or rejoicing. It is some form of Charan that is mostly translated as Rejoice. So, joy and rejoicing are from the same Greek source.
Chairó conveys a sense of inner joy and delight, often in response to God’s grace and goodness. In the New Testament, it is frequently used to express the joy that believers experience through their salvation and relationship with Christ.

There are over 120 references to the experience of Joy and Rejoicing in the New Testament. That compares to 31 references to comfort, giving some indication of the emphasis the New Testament writers placed on joy.

Our Sources of Joy
I looked over the application of the words “Joy” and “rejoice” in the New Testament, taking note of the source and experience of joy that we should expect in our lives as Believers.
After reviewing the roughly 60+ New Testament scriptures that use some form of the Greek word translated as “joy,” I identified 20 categories of how Christians experience Spiritual Joy. (This certainly is not a comprehensive guide to our Christian experience, but just what I’ve found in the New Testament)

New Testament Joy Through:

1. Entering into eternal & secure salvation – Luke 2:9-11, John 17:13, 1Peter 1:6-9
2. Experiencing the reality of God in our lives. He is alive – Matthew 28:8, Luke 1:14, Luke 1:44, Luke 2:10, Luke 24:52, John 15:9, Acts 8:8
3. Experiencing God’s supernatural power in our lives – Colossians 1:11, Acts 8:8
4. Seeing our hope and prayers realized – John 3:29, John 16:24, Matthew 2:10
5. Experiencing His presence/tangible relationship – Luke 19:5-7, Luke 24:41, John 15:9, Acts 2:28, Romans 14:17
6. Realizing God’s unique spiritual gifts working through us – Luke 10:17
7. Hearing/receiving God’s word – Matthew 13:20, Luke 8:13, John 15:11, John 17:13, 1Thessalonians 1:6
8. Our faithful service leading us into the joy of our lord – Matthew 25:21 & 23, Acts 20:24
9. Realizing God’s purpose in our lives – John 3:29, Philippians 1:4, 1:25, 2:2, 4:1
10. Awareness of God’s future promises and eternal rewards – Hebrews 12:2, Hebrews 12:11, Matthew 13:44, Luke 6:23, Romans 15:13
11. Leading others to God’s saving power and into a relationship with God – Luke 15:7, Luke 15:10, Acts 13:52, Acts 15:3
12. Seeing God overcome our sorrows – John 16:20, John 16:21, John 16:22
13. Refreshment by fellowship with our church family – 2Corinthians 2:3, 2 Corinthians 7:13, 2Timothy 1:4, Philemon 1:7, Philemon 1:20, 2 John 1:12, Romans 15:32
14. The testimonies of God’s work in our brethren’s lives – 1 Thessalonians 2:19, 2:20, 3:9, 1John 1:4, 3John 1:4
15. Our eternal hope while enduring tribulation – 2 Corinthians 7:13, 2 Corinthians 8:1-3, 1Peter 4:13
16. Realizing the Fruit of God’s Spirit flowing through us – Galatians 5:22
17. Realizing the reward for our personal sacrifice – Hebrews 10:34
18. Those who rule/serve over us – 2 Corinthians 1:24, Hebrews 13:17
19. The cleansing work of God in our lives – Jude 1:24
20. The knowledge that God is using our trials to perfect us – James 1:2

I’ve synthesized the 20 down to these 5. Our Joy comes from experiencing:

1. The coming of our Savior/ the freedom of our salvation
2. Discovering the truth/power of God’s Word
3. Experiencing the reality of God/His presence/being an active part of His Body
4. Discovering and living out our purpose/seeing the fruit of our labor
5. Endurance/faithfulness through trials for the eternal glory that awaits

The Experience of Cheerfulness and Calm Delight
Once again, the “Joy” that is referred to is some form of Chairó (gladness, cheerfulness, calm delight). It is not referring to feelings that lead to wild celebrations or cheering, or doing euphoric cartwheels. It is about experiencing a calm delight or cheerfulness at all times – even in times of trouble. What would this look like?

The Replay and Knowing the Outcome:
I envision this Chairó Joy as likened to watching the replay of a sporting event. You’re sitting with your pals, rooting for your team, but you are the only one who knows the outcome – and it is good. But your team is playing poorly and losing badly for much of the game. Your pals are squirming and miserable, but you sit back with a gladness, cheerfulness, and a calm delight, knowing that it will all lead to a wonderful comeback victory. Your team ends up winning in miraculous fashion. You were assured all along because the game had already been played, and you knew the outcome.

This is the joy that James refers to in James 1:2-4, “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”

Or, what I see for this kind of joy is the imagery of a Believer being in the midst of some calamity, and while others are melting down, he seeks out God and smiles with certainty that God is in the midst of the trial. The Believer is calm and wondering how God will show up this time.

At some point, we may come to understand that trials are inevitable and somehow, we grow to embrace them as a reflection of the fallen world that Christ has already overcome. Peter wrote of this in 1 Peter 4:12-13, “Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.”

In John 16:33, Jesus uses the word Tharseite – To be of good cheer or good courage, or to be bold in the face of the world’s trials because the victory is already secure. “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

So, this kind of joy typically reflects a sense of gladness or cheerfulness. That is not to say there are no experiences of euphoric joy in God’s presence. It’s just to say that what is most commonly referred to as joy in New Testament scripture is the experience of cheerfulness and calm delight.

But, how is This Joy Part of Our Maturity in Christ?
As detailed in my previous posts, what I see is a process of maturing in our deepening relationship with Christ, where….

1. The food I eat is first milk being fed to us (Believer), and then
2. As I grow, my diet consists of more meat that I feed myself (Disciple Pupil) and then
3. I mature further to adopt a posture of more of Jesus and less of me (Disciple Scholar), and
4. As my relationship deepens even further, I am called and desire to forsake most, if not all, for Christ (Follower).

A Joy Tied to Our Maturity?
It seems to me that the Joy we experience in our walk with Christ is somewhat tied to our maturity in Christ.

1. As newborn children in Christ, we find joy in our newfound freedom. Eternity is settled, and we discover the powerful truths in the Bible, embracing the milk that is fed to us and is easy to digest.
2. As we grow, we feed ourselves, find joy digging deeper into God’s truth and exploring the reality of Jesus in our lives and as part of His Body.
3. Recognizing a growing desire to be more like Jesus, we find joy in entertaining more of His presence, discovering our purpose in Christ and utilizing our gifts as an integral part of His Body.
4. With our desire matching His desire, we are called to even more (Psalm 37:4). We find joy in seeing the fruit of living out our purpose in Christ. We become “all-in” for God’s purpose as a leader of His Body and count it all joy in trials as we carry our cross.

This dynamic represents an ever-increasing faith, accompanied by an ever-increasing flow of the Fruit of the Spirit – including Joy. It seems we should actually be experiencing more Joy as we step out in faith and grow in our relationship with Christ. As we mature, we are able to hēgēsasthe – be of opinion, suppose, or consider all of our experiences with the joy detailed in the New Testament writings.

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Please note that what I have detailed is not necessarily prescriptive, but rather descriptive. This is a generalization of what I have seen and experienced, but not everyone’s experience of how they have grown in their relationship with Jesus and the Joy they encounter as Believers.

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What’s My Point Here?
My point here is that our relationship with Jesus grows, not by threats or guilt but by His loving call to draw deeper into His sacrificial love. He does not sugarcoat what it takes to be His follower, but identifies that there is a greater level of joy in the experience. He loves you and is willing to engage us as far as we are willing to go, but always beckons us to go deeper into His life and ministry.

Paul sums up the reality of the living/breathing Body of Christ in 1 Corinthians 12:27, “You are the body of Christ. Each one of you is a part of it.” Are those who are less mature/less Joyful in their faith less important to the body? Paul says in verses 22&23, “On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty,”

The weaker vessels find joy in certain things, and as we mature, we count it joy even in the more challenging things, sharing more fully in the ministry of Jesus. At the same time, Jesus reminds us to never forget our childlike faith and the joy of our salvation. Psalm 51:12, “Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.”

But, what about the greater, exceeding, or ecstatic level of Joy? Should that be part of our Christian experience? How do I get a piece of that Joy? Where do we find the choicest Beef?

I’ll explore that further in a future post – Where’s the Beef/Joy? – Part II

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Where Was the Joy Last Week?

This past week, we saw the very public murders of an innocent Ukrainian woman, a generational leader who engaged in challenging social and spiritual debates, another school shooting and at least 89 Christians slaughtered by jihadists in the DRC. Evil is growing and surrounds us. Bad is bad, and there is no joy in what is evil and not of God. Even Jesus wept at the death of Lazarus. Why? Because God did not intend for us to live in a world of pain, suffering and death. He came that we may live lives of God’s loving abundance.

Do we jump for joy or feel good feelings at the assassination of an inspiring young husband and father, or at the murders of an innocent woman and children? No. We experience the pain as Jesus experienced the pain. In the episode with Lazarus, John documents that Jesus wept and twice “groaned in the spirit”. The Greek word for this groaning is Enebrimēsato. It means to have indignation on, to blame, to sigh with chagrin, to sternly enjoin. Jesus felt all that. Even though Jesus knew of the joy they would soon experience at Lazarus’ resurrection and at His own life-giving resurrection, He also shared in the pain and suffering that all were experiencing.

Jesus does not sugarcoat it. The pain and suffering of this world is real. There is no joy in evil and in the enemy’s plans for destruction. But the love of God is greater. We can experience joy because, through the pain, we walk in the victory of Jesus. John 16:33, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace (prosperity). In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer (courage), I have overcome the world.” We have peace and prosper by the very word of God and have courage because we cheer for Jesus’ total victory over the enemy. The pain of this world is real, but the joy of the Lord is for our constant confidence in His love and complete victory.