How to find joy in this wretched world?

Philippians 4:4, "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!" 

            The most common misconception among nominal Christians and unbelievers is that once you accept Jesus and become a Christian, Boom! All your sorrows are gone. Of course, the Christian God, Jesus, promises a life of joy and peace beyond understanding, but it doesn’t mean that there won’t be any prospect for trouble or sorrow. To clearly understand this, the Bible says, “In this world, you will have trouble” (John 16:33) and also “take up your (his) cross and follow me” (Matt 16:24), “bear my yoke” (Matt 11:30), “…not only believe on Him, but also to suffer for Him” (Phil 1:29). This is not to scare you away, But to help you truly understand the kind of joy Christ gives amidst facing struggle, pain, sickness, and suffering.  

            At the onset of the Christian life, it might seem all cozy and comfortable until the believer is confronted with the concept of ‘suffering’ in Christianity. The important  ideal of Christianity- ‘Carrying the cross’ makes many people uneasy and they rather prefer to slide quietly into the blissful ignorance of such ideal in their religion than confronting it. But however stealthily a person tries to evade suffering for Christ, yet calling himself a follower of Christ, he will one day certainly, face it head-on. Now coming back to the core scripture of this post, Philippians 4:4, "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!", if you are a person who has come to know that suffering is synonymous with Christianity (after reading this post) or someone who has been mulling over this subject and not able to reconcile with it, then you might question me about the validity of the verse I quoted (Phil 4:4). How to rejoice when suffering is guaranteed?

            First it is vital to wrap our mind around the demarcation between worldly joy and the joy in Christ. The former is temporary and tangible while the latter is eternal and intangible. My definition of worldly joy is this- a fleeting experience of joy and happiness derived from worldly things (money, relationship, food, fame, etc.) Now it’s not bad to gain happiness out of these worldly things (since God blesses us with them) but it is necessary to have a clear understanding that the joy that these things bring us is only momentary and placing our whole heart in them would lead us to disappointment. Having said that, let us move on to experiencing joy in Christ.

            The joy, peace, and happiness that the Bible professes is not one that you find in the world, it is a different one; in the sense that no one can snatch it away from you. This joy is not devoid of sorrows but this joy transcends the sorrows. Let me illustrate: Imagine that two siblings are in a tussle over a small toffee and the father quietly waves a huge piece of chocolate at them. Whoever sees him first will admittedly let go of the toffee and run to get the bigger chocolate. That’s the most natural thing to do because his eyes saw something more grandeur than the thing at hand. Thus, letting go of the toffee (which for the other person seemed like a great loss) was not foolish but a sensible thing to do. Similarly, when a Christian sets his mind on things above (Col 3:2) and when his eyes are fixed on the glorious reward of spending eternity with Jesus, he’ll be able to shove away all the suffering that the world inflicts on him. This brings great joy; the joy of knowing a greater reward transcends sorrow and fills a person with peace and happiness. This is the joy Christ gives. It is eternal and indestructible joy that isn’t confined to the world but attains its fulfillment in eternity. Please get this straight; a Christian’s belief in eternal life with Jesus is not a figment of imagination like many people presume, it is as real as the roof above your head.

            St. Paul, who was undergoing persecution for Christ, says, “Rejoice in the Lord always.” I’m sure he should’ve been rejoicing in the first place to give such a counsel. Rejoicing not in his three-storied apartment with air conditioning, but in a place of impending danger; not even sure of his life the next day. I couldn’t refrain from mentioning the prison scene here, where Paul and Silas sang songs to the Lord in the prison cell, with handcuffs on, like that was the most natural thing to do (Acts 16:25). From where did they receive the joy that they could sing in such a situation? Definitely not the one the world could offer. This is the kind of joy Christ gives when you trust in Him, come rain or shine your joy in the Lord remains.

Why should you rejoice?

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”(1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

-It is the will of God for you to rejoice.

For what should you rejoice?

“I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; my soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.”(Isa 61:10)

-He has given you salvation, saved you from damnation and you are His bride.

How is the nature of the joy Christ gives?

“Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation.”(Habakkuk 3:17-18)

-No worldly trouble can take your joy away.

“As sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything.” (2 Corinthians 6:10)

-It is a joy that transcends sorrows.

When should you rejoice?

“This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”(Psalm 118:24)

-Today, tomorrow, every day.

Where can you find this joy?

“You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” (Psalm 16:11)

-In His presence, you find this joy.

What does this joy give?

“The joy of the Lord is your strength.”(Neh 8:10)

-Strength.

In what should you rejoice?

"Rejoice in hope..." (Rom 12:12)

-You should rejoice in hope that Jesus will lead you through

            There is no true joy outside the Lord in this fallen world. All that jollity the world gives is just a façade. That is why increasing many people find life meaningless. C.S.Lewis beautifully explains in his book ‘Mere Christianity’ that we are created by God and our joy and existence flows from Him. Just like how a machine cannot say that it can function without fuel, we are foolish when we say we can live without God. Therefore running away from God at times of troubles is like running away from the solution. I’ve heard many people say, “I prayed so hard, yet the tale of woe continues in my life, and that’s why I quit trusting God.” Listen, everyone at some point would’ve felt like this; there’s nothing wrong in feeling this way but losing trust in God is equal to digging your own pit. It is like wanting to be in the light but running away from the source of light at the same time. It is like blaming the light for not shinning when all you do is run away towards darkness and not the light.   

            Always remember “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” (2Cor 4:17) and the Lord has promised to “rescue us (me) from every evil attack and bring us (me) safely to His heavenly kingdom.” (2Tim4:18) and we ought to rejoice in the power of God that shields us and the promise of an inheritance that can never perish, spoil, or fade- kept in heaven for us (1Pet 1:6).

            So Smile! No trouble, sickness, or pain can separate you from the love of God. He loves you and has made ready a place for you in heaven, where all your tears will be gone forever. He is making you ready for that glorious place. Keep trusting Him in the journey and REJOICE.

JESUS IS COMING SOON