Overwhelmed by Joy

One of my strategies to flourish during lockdown is to watch more comedy. Everyday I aim to watch something that will make me laugh, whether it's a TV series, a film or even funny youtube, clips I just know laughter is good for my soul.

We need joy and laughter in our lives, and especially when we are enduring long periods of not seeing friends and family in person. 

Sadly, many conceive of the church as irrelevant and boring - a kind of antidote to a joyful life, even though it is clear God wants us to be a fun, life-giving community. 

I'm not just talking about an idea about joy. What good is it to know all the physiology and anatomy of joy, pass an exam on how to be joyful, but never experience it!

This message is about experiencing real joy in your real circumstances. 

We have many reasons to be overwhelmed with life right now, but I want you to know, you can be overwhelmed by joy.

I'll start with reading a passage from a book in the bible called Nehemiah and then unveil a key to a joyful life. This key will open a door in your life to experience the joy God has for you.

Nehemiah 8 

9 And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, "This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn or weep." For all the people wept when they heard the words of the law. 10 Then he said to them, "Go your way, eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions of them to those for whom nothing is prepared, for this day is holy to our Lord; and do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength." 11 So the Levites stilled all the people, saying, "Be quiet, for this day is holy; do not be grieved." 12 And all the people went their way to eat and drink and to send portions and to make great rejoicing, because they had understood the words that were declared to them.

This is one of the final stories in the Old Testament. It is about 500 BC. Nehemiah is a leader who has helped Israel return to their home city Jerusalem after being taken captive hundreds of miles away for 70 years. They are now reading their ancient scriptures which many had not heard before. These scriptures were the story of their ancestors and how God chose them and instructed them to live. So this is a massive moment of discovery.

It's like that programme "Who do you think you are?" where they find out their family history. They are learning about who they are, and there is great sorrow because they have not been living the way God had instructed. They had fallen short of their great calling and purpose to bless the world.

One of the saddest things in life and what real sin is about is missing our calling and potential as human beings to love, serve and contribute to the renewal of all things. It's settling when we had this enormous potential to offer our gifts and talents in creating some more of heaven on earth. This quote can sum up our inaction to fulfil our duties as human beings, "All that is required for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing."

Israel had this high calling, this incredible history and story and purpose, yet they had no idea because they'd forgotten their history.

A Key

I want to highlight a key from this passage that will empower you to live a joyful life.

That key is simply understanding your story. Now, I could say a lot here, but I want to focus on one element of your story.

We don't need to know everything about our background, but we do need to know that our story originates in God's imagination. He thought of you, planned you and delighted in creating you. You are not an accident and you have a significant contribution to make in this world.

Now, What do I mean by "God"? Am I talking about the idea of a god who is infinite, all knowing, all powerful creator who leaves us to get on with it? A creator who isn't involved or interested in 99% of life. No, when I say the word God, I am talking about a loving heavenly father who creates us in His Son, Jesus Christ and lives in us by the Holy Spirit. 

Think of it like this. Imagine you are at a dinner table, a feast of amazing food and drink is before you and in your company are three persons - God the Father, God Son and God, the Holy Spirit. They are absolutely One together, they are bound by love, that means the Father has always love the Son, and the Son has always loved the Father and the Son and the Father has always loved the Spirit and the Spirit always loved the Father and the Son. 

It is one eternal circle of loving relationship. You might not have understood before that God is a community, God is family, three persons yet absolutely and totally united as One. 

So, what has this to do with joy?

So, listen to this. We are invited into that relationship. God says come sit at this table among friends and discover what joy is all about. The Trinity - Father, Son and Spirit - are joyful. They have always been joyful and will always be so. It is God's nature and disposition to be joyful. 

How could the Father not be joyful around the Son?

Who in your life brings you joy? Who do you love to hang out with? When we experience that friendship, we are experiencing an echo of that joy between the Father , Son and Spirit. We are participating in something way beyond us. It feels so right and true because it is reflection of the fun and antics in the Godhead.

A sign you are among good friends is that you can relax, laugh and enjoy one another's company. God invites us into that real friendship in our day to day life. We can experience joy because we are united with God who is the most joyful person in the universe.

Negative emotions are real, but they don't last, joy is eternal, ever present and always available because the Father, Son and Spirit love to share their joy like parents love to share the joy of a new born. You're just drawn into it.

So, we are made in the image of God, we're made to be joyful! It is in our DNA. Whether it's laughing with friends or family, watching a film, playing a game, being immersed in your work, however it comes, we know we're made for joy. 

Joy is our homing beacon. All of humanity are seeking it and most are finding it in the wrong places, but when you find the true source of joy then nothing else satisifies.

I want you to know your true history originates beyond your parents and grandparents, your nationality, it goes way further back to the Father, Son and Spirit dreaming you up and creating you to share in his joy. 

You see, the extraordinary reality that we can miss is that God loves to share his joy with all humanity. Joy is not based on personality, culture or circumstances. 

Joy is based on the relationship between the Father and the Son. The Holy Spirit lives in us so we can experience our inclusion in this relationship. Joy is not just an experience, it is a person called Christ. When we understand we are in Christ, we have all the joy we could ever crave for.

If joy is limited to your circumstances, then you are living too small. Joy is this expansive life rooted in our relationship with God. When we understand our joy is Father, Son and Holy Spirit's joy, then we realise our strength and can face anything in life.