If you were to go to a mall or park, stop passers-by and ask them what is most important in life, most would answer – ‘to be happy.’ Happiness is one of the most fundamental of human needs. We all want to experience joy, we all love to laugh. We want to surround ourselves with things that increase our happiness – or at least decrease our sorrow. And why not? It feels better to be happy than sad.
Yet, sadness is unavoidable in this life. We live in a place where heartbreak and pain are a reality. People disappoint us. Life doesn’t always turn out the way we want it to. There are even seasons of life when we wonder if we have what it takes to endure. Tragedy and loss are known to all and sometimes visit us disproportionately.
How can we be happy? We answer that question in so many ways. Sometimes we try to fill our lives with pleasure in many forms. Let’s be honest, that’s not all bad. Great food, movies, romantic getaways and playing superheroes with your kids can be a lot of fun. So can other things, darker things, forbidden things. The Bible says sin has its pleasure for a season (Hebrews 11.24-25). No one who has ever sinned would dispute that. The problem is the price that often accompanies it.
As a young man I tried to find pleasure in many things; some that were good and others that were well, not so good. I made it my quest in life to seek pleasure in all its forms. For a while I was convinced I was on to something big. Later, I found that the darker things I frequently partook of came with a cost that was more often higher than I wanted to pay. This isn’t especially surprising. What amazed me was how quickly the joy leaked out of my life, even when I filled it with pleasurable things that were good. It seemed that no matter how exquisite the experience was, it never lasted.
No rational person prefers sadness to joy or suffering to pleasure. The real question becomes how to live in such a way that our joy is maximized. I believe the answer lies in the presence of God. The Bible tells us that God is the source of joy. One of the qualities of experiencing God is joy. Not just because He is joyful but because He is joy.
When we give our life to God, when we commit 100% of ourselves to Him, the Bible tells us that He spiritually comes to live inside us. That means His joy is in us. When we prayerfully connect with Him, we experience that joy and it, in part, becomes our own. Over time, we experience it more frequently and in greater measure.
This joy from God has the power to transform our hearts. It’s still great to hang out with good friends and do fun things but these things can’t come close to replacing the joy that is found in God. Many things are pleasurable, fewer are profitable, but none can replace the joy we find in Christ.
The challenge for most Christians is getting to the place of full commitment to God. Partial-commitment affects our experience of God, which in turn affects our joy. In addition, few people intentionally spend much time with God, further reducing their experience of joy. I think these two things more than anything else has frustrated Christians in their efforts to seek God.
Let’s be clear – I too struggle with these things. It’s hard for me to focus my mind on God and truly give myself to Him fully. It’s a daily battle that’s always hard but incredibly crucial to my experience of God.
How do you find joy in God?
g posted on October 30, 2009
i find joy in God when i take time for solitude, to get away from the “normal” surroundings, spend time praying, reading the word, journaling. it is there when He speaks to me and the joy i feel with His presence brings me to tears. His Spirit then carries me awhile to deal with trials/struggles back home and still experience His joy. the sad thing is.. i do not do solitude enough…