“These things I have spoken to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.” – Jesus (John 15:11)
When Paul was a prisoner in Rome, he wrote of being joyful and rejoicing 16 times in the four short chapters of his letter to the Philippians. How could he do that? He had learned that no matter how bad things got, the love of Christ always carried him through. That’s why he could say,
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
(Philippians 4:6-7)
I’ll take happiness when I can get it, but there is something better. If you take happiness to the next level, you get joy, which comes from the Greek word chara, and means to be exceedingly glad. We draw strength and enthusiasm and fulfillment from the joy of the Lord. It pulls us out of depression and refreshes our weary souls. For me, it’s not so much of an exuberant high as it is a satisfying feeling of well-being and contentment. When I think of Jesus, thoughts of love, gratitude and delight fill my mind, like when I think of my wife and what she means to me.
To enjoy the company of someone, you need to be close to them. Long distance relationships don’t provide much intimacy. Many of us are suffering from not being with family and friends during this pandemic. The same holds true when we don’t walk closely with the Lord. First century Jews had a blessing that expressed the commitment to stay in the presence of the one they followed: “May you always be covered by the dust of your rabbi.” We’ll take a look at ways to do that when we start a three part series on Spiritual Nutrition on the next post.
“God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.” – John Piper
Dwell in His secret place 