Rejoice
“Rejoice.” This seems like such shallow command. How can Paul command joy? It’s like that bumper sticker that reads, “Smile God loves you.” Thanks for that. Am I supposed to pretend that things are simply happy and wait for some kind of relational euphoria to overtake my soul? Am I supposed to choose to be ignorant to spare my heart the agony of understanding?
What is this, Sunday School? Am I seven years old, that the teacher wipes the tears from my eyes saying “Smile now, God loves you,” after an older kid has made it pretty clear that he does not “love me” by pushing off of the slide at the playground? Paul’s command has the air of Kleenex words and Band-Aids on scraped knees. It hardly seems like sage-like wisdom in light of serious disagreement in the church. Our playground scuffles have become real life pain that begs for a more serious solution than “smile God loves you.”
Maybe I am missing something. Is it possible that I have misunderstood what it means to have joy? Have I too closely related it to my emotions?
The word means to rejoice or to be merry. It means to be glad. How can I choose to be glad? It takes a thoughtful shift in my perspective. If this world and is sufferings and pain are all that there is then joy is at best momentary and improbable. But…if there is something more, say life after death, a creator, a savior, someone who will one day make right the injustice of this world, well then perhaps there is meaning and purpose and the possibility of gladness. Paul tells us that the place of our joy is in the Lord. Outside of him there is no hope, no reason to be glad.
Joy is the absence of fear that comes with embracing the fact that God is sovereignly in control of the details of my life. Sometimes it displays itself in singing, dancing, shouting but may also be shown in peace, rest and calm.
What is this, Sunday School? Am I seven years old, that the teacher wipes the tears from my eyes saying “Smile now, God loves you,” after an older kid has made it pretty clear that he does not “love me” by pushing off of the slide at the playground? Paul’s command has the air of Kleenex words and Band-Aids on scraped knees. It hardly seems like sage-like wisdom in light of serious disagreement in the church. Our playground scuffles have become real life pain that begs for a more serious solution than “smile God loves you.”
Maybe I am missing something. Is it possible that I have misunderstood what it means to have joy? Have I too closely related it to my emotions?
The word means to rejoice or to be merry. It means to be glad. How can I choose to be glad? It takes a thoughtful shift in my perspective. If this world and is sufferings and pain are all that there is then joy is at best momentary and improbable. But…if there is something more, say life after death, a creator, a savior, someone who will one day make right the injustice of this world, well then perhaps there is meaning and purpose and the possibility of gladness. Paul tells us that the place of our joy is in the Lord. Outside of him there is no hope, no reason to be glad.
Joy is the absence of fear that comes with embracing the fact that God is sovereignly in control of the details of my life. Sometimes it displays itself in singing, dancing, shouting but may also be shown in peace, rest and calm.
posted by goz at 10:09 PM
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