True Joy

Zephaniah 3:14-20

Philippians 4:4-7

 “True Joy”

13 December 2015 St. Andrew’s Military Chapel Singapore

            (Play laughter video)

That video was a glimpse of true joy, especially the one with the kid holding the water hose for his dog. Those kids are experiencing something way beyond mere happiness. For there always seems to be true, deep, unbridled joy in the laugh of children. Because joy sometimes seems so elusive in our lives, when we see not just happiness, but true joy, we stop and slow down to bask in its warmth and love.

            If all we did were to look at the TV, read the news, or God forbid, read the comments of any website, we may think that joy is elusive and dwindling for the struggle in our lives is real. Circumstances and situations both within and out of our control can put us of the mind that joy is beyond not just our reach but even beyond our comprehension.

            Zephaniah speaks from a situation of national hopelessness and despair. Israel had been defeated and they were subjected to the whims of another culture as slaves. It was dark personally and culturally. God had promised so much; abundant offspring, a powerful society, a promised land of milk and honey, blessings for generations. None of that seemed possible.

            But, Zephaniah is a prophet and he hears from the Lord and is given a different take on things. Oh, he did speak the judgment of God upon his people. However, he was given the full vision, the full word of God where he saw the other side of their grief and pain. He saw joy and light just around the corner. He knew to say, “Be not afraid for God is with us.”

            Paul tells us that our joy is in the Lord and to not worry, to not fear. He even takes it a step further and tells us that we aren’t to seek joy, but rather to make our requests know to God through prayer and pleading with thanksgiving. And that is a hard thing to do sometimes, especially if we find ourselves in a place of despair like Zephaniah was speaking from.

            What I find amazing about Paul’s words is he says we shouldn’t seek joy and I think that is the biggest difference between happiness and joy. We are able to pursue happiness, and our nation’s founding documents explicitly says that it is an unalienable right to pursue happiness. So, we do. We do everything we can to make ourselves happy. We buy things, we collect friends, we strive for success in sports, academics, or some other hobby.

            Pursuing happiness isn’t necessarily a bad thing, for it can sometimes lead to joy. However, we need to be careful for happiness is fleeting and can be addictive so we buy bigger and better things for the momentary warmth of happiness. How many of us when we were growing up begged and pleaded for the one toy that would make us happy only to throw it to the side after a few days? Ever bought a must have gift for a child only to have them find enjoyment in the box in which it came?

            Did anyone ever have a simple toy, worn out doll, tattered stuffed animal, or smelly shredded blanket that was always there? A Hobbs to our Calvin with which we lost ourselves in joy? That’s the difference between joy and happiness. Happiness is flashy and fleeting, the toy everyone wants and needs. Joy finds you in unexpected ways and sticks around forever.

            Culture wants happy shiny people, so much so that we tend to confuse joy and happiness while also trying to smother any other emotion because we don’t want anyone to see a tarnish on our lives. (Play first Inside Out Clip)

            Joy is the bossy pants of the mind giving instructions to Fear, Anger, and Disgust. If she can just keep them distracted long enough she gets to be the #1 emotion, and Riley will be known as a happy, shiny person. Joy knows sadness is a powerful emotion so she tries to put Sadness into a corner, keeping her from “ruining” not just Riley’s first day of school but keeps pushing her away so as not to ruin Riley’s life. At this point Joy is not true joy, she is just happiness run amok.

            We know what’s coming. Life has taught us that happiness has to be punished. It’s almost like there’s this law of finite happiness. I have to take some from you to make my happiness factor rise. Something happens that makes us sad and we try to happy our way out of it. And that can lead to despair. We can find ourselves in need of Zephaniah, a prophet to point elsewhere, to point us to true joy, God’s grace.

            Because joy is part of God’s grace, we don’t find joy, it finds us. Most of the time, we need someone to point it out to us and say, “This is joy. This is all you need.” Sometimes it takes a journey and finding ourselves in a dark place full of forgotten memories to realize the Joy we have been given through Christ.

Visions of joy, however they are given to us, motivate us to change the status quo. That longing we have to bring the world into alignment with God’s plan for us and the world, that’s joy breaking in. That unease with suffering while also being baffled at the joy in those who have less than us, that’s joy breaking in. True joy will always be there seeking us out, sometimes we just have to realize it can be in the most unlikely of places. (Play Inside Out Clip #2)

Riley never experienced true joy until Joy came to realize that Sadness can lead to joy and that she needed to share and let all of Riley’s emotions play a role in Riley’s life. For true joy is complex, but it builds stronger and more lasting core memories. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ is our joy. Where we encounter God’s grace is where joy finds us. So, let us go forth living a life open to grace so that the true and lasting joy comes and finds us rather than us pursuing a culturally defined momentary happiness.