Joy
This blog post is Part 7 of a series entitled "The Philosophy Of Life" by Pastor Jeffrey Dean Smith of Donelson First in Nashville, TN.
Message Date: February 16, 2025
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There is an attribute of radiant strength that is the presence of true spiritual maturity in the life of the believer. It is a reflection of one ever attune to the promise of eternity. It is not a fleeting emotion, dependent on circumstances; swayed by the shifting winds of fate; rather, it is an enduring light, a quiet, powerful presence, that resides ever firm within the soul. It is not the product of external success or material abundance, nor does it waver in the face of hardship. It is an anchor in turbulent waters; a melody that lingers even in the silence of solitude.
It too is the fragrance of a grateful heart, the gentle warmth of inner contentment, and the steadfast assurance that life is rich with beauty. No matter how daunting the circumstance, there is always a light of truth; a beacon of hope guiding the way. It is the momentum to dance even in the rain; to find laughter in the ordinary; to see hope even in the darkest hour. To live with it is to embrace a peace that surpasses understanding - a peace that is not borrowed from perfect conditions but rather cultivated from within. When you embody such, you walk with a lightness, unshaken by the weight of the world, for you have discovered this attribute is not an elusive treasure to be sought... instead it is as a wellspring that flows from within.
When your life philosophy is immersed with such, it cannot help but to paint the mundane with brilliance, turn simple moments into cherished memories, and illuminate even the most challenging of paths with the glow of possibility. It is the whisper of resilience; the song of the soul that refuses to be dimmed by despair. A life infused with this very necessary and truly attainable attribute is not one dictated by circumstance, but one that flourishes in unwavering peace, rooted in the deep and abiding knowledge that every moment - no matter how small - holds the potential for wonder, gratitude, and grace.
After discussing last week the impact Scripture can have as one’s life philosophy takes shape under its power and authority, attribute #7 is the perfect companion to a life immersed in the Holy Scriptures. As a matter of fact, it is precisely the attribute that the very Scriptures state is reserved for the one who appeals to the Lord, the one whose hope is placed in the Lord.
Attribute #7: Joy.
Joy is a dynamic all its own. It is an attribute of which we each desire to possess. Yet, it is one too that, sadly, many never attain. For the Christ-follower, it is within you. Joy is yours for the taking. It is as if you have been handed the keys to the kingdom, and all you must do is unlock the door. However, its power in your life is dependent upon your willingness to take hold of it; your choice to let it reign high above and before and through and in all circumstances no matter how dreadful and dark. Joy can bring about immense peace in your life. It too can be present even amidst sadness and tears that are an inescapable part of your life. If allowed, it can reign supreme even while one faces uncertainty and journeys through immeasurable grief.
How can this be? How can one hurt yet... too be joyful? This is a question with which so very many wrestle. I want to put it before you today for your consideration: How can you grapple with pain while, too, be guided by peace? Well, this is why life philosophy #7 is such a necessary attribute for the life of the Christian. For there is not a person here today who does not, who potentially is not, presently dealing with pain, uncertainty, sickness, distress, anxiety, depression, addiction, disappointment, desertion, loneliness, bitterness, brokenness, stress, loss, betrayal, and more. It is not merely possible you learn to experience true joy in this life as a follower of Jesus. I instead will say... It is necessary you learn to possess true joy as an attribute of your life philosophy.
For without joy, the life of the Christian is simply less... less at peace; less fulfilled; less complete.
Joy has been defined in so very many ways. Momentarily I will share with you the definition of this word as found in both the Hebrew and the Greek in Scriptures. But I first want to offer to you a definition of the word joy. It is this: Joy is the emotion of salvation. Though deserving of death, humanity is offered redemption through God’s Son, the Christ. As such, the Christian should respond, can respond, and I entreat, must respond to both celebration and devastation with joy knowing that your eternity is secure. Joy is not to be a condition of circumstances nor experiences. Joy, instead, is to be a reflection of the Christian’s eternal perspective. Joy is the response of the Christian at peace with life, no matter how uncertain, volatile, or devastating.
Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and joy are in his dwelling place. 1 Chronicles 16:27
Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete. John 16:24
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13
Both the Hebrew and Greek word for joy found in these passages is defined as:
Joy / Hebrew / Greek / chara / n. = filled with joy; complete
Notice this word, in both languages of the original text, not only define the emotion of joy, but they describe its effect on the life of the believer. The effect: Completeness! God’s Holy Scriptures are imploring us to remember such a life philosophy immersed in joy. Throughout the entirety of Scriptures, we read often of the concept of happiness. 30 times in all. But the Hebrew and Greek word for “Joy” is spoken of more than 300 times in the Bible! It is obvious God desires joy to be in abundance as a critical attribute of your life philosophy. If this is true, then let’s examine this question: Why are so many Christians unhappy?
Just this week, I had a conversation with someone who is thoroughly enjoying our present teaching series, The Philosophy of Life. I shared with her this week’s attribute: joy. And almost immediately, she said to me: “My present circumstances are far from ‘joy-full!’ How do I respond to life’s overwhelming pains and do so embracing a life philosophy of joy?”
Look... I understand y’all. For the one who has lost the love of their life, how can there be joy? For the one who buries their child, how can there be joy? For the one who hears, “You are fired!”, how can there be joy? I first want to answer this question: Why are so many Christians unhappy? Secondly, I want to offer to you 5 considerations that I know can be of help to you in helping you embrace this ever-important attribute of joy. There are, I presume, many reasons as to why so very many Christians are unhappy. I want to offer 2 to you today:
Why are so many Christians unhappy?
1. Many Christians live with a foot in both worlds.
There are so very many people who have one eye on heaven, another on the world. One of the biggest reasons many Christians struggle with joy is that they are caught between these two worlds. They want the peace, security, and blessings of following Christ, but they are also unwilling to let go of the pleasures, desires, and values of this world. Such people call on Christ, yet too toil to find security, satisfaction, and fulfillment in the world. If this is you, I can assure you - this internal conflict creates spiritual double-mindedness, leaving you restless, frustrated, and without true joy.
It is as simple as this: You will never possess ultimate joy while too maintaining a divided loyalty between God and the world. It is impossible. Jesus made it clear that we cannot live with divided hearts. We must choose whom we will serve.
No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. Matthew 6:24
These words from Christ apply not only to money, but too to the life philosophy of ultimate loyalty in your heart. Trying to please both the world and God is exhausting! It too is an impossible pursuit. And Jesus calls it spiritual adultery:
You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. James 4:4
I had to ask myself this question this week, and I implore of you to ask the same: Is this you? Do you have a foot in two worlds? If this is you, listen clearly: You will never live with true joy – never! Hear me, Church – I do not share this with you in a condemning way at all! I get it! The lures of the world are fascinating and are often overly enticing and inviting; interesting; and too, alluring and attractive. So, there is no condemnation here today from me to you. But what is also true and cannot be overlooked...
The ways of the world – ambition, pride, materialism, lust, and any form of temporary pleasures are all in direct opposition to God’s kingdom. When you try to accommodate both, you will always live in tension and guilt and with a lack of true joy. The end result of straddling the fence with God, leads to, secondly...
2. Many Christians live lukewarm.
Allegiance to God while simultaneously being devoted to the world merely leads to what the bible calls a life philosophy that is lukewarm. Imagine a lukewarm marriage; a half-in, half-out friendship. Imagine a half-hearted business partnership. Consider any union with another who cannot choose whether or not to be in love or not in love; in or out; devoted or not; committed or casually invested! Such relationships leave one feeling joy-less. Such a “half in, half out” philosophy leaves one clinging to things and relationships and goals and beliefs that compete for one’s attention, loyalty and, ultimately one’s heart.
A lukewarm Christian is one who professes faith in Christ but does not live fully surrendered to the ways of Christ.
Revelation 3:15-16
Today’s churches are full of lukewarm Christians. They are! Today’s churches are too full of Christians who think everyone is lukewarm but them. And this is why so very many Christians live without true joy! A lukewarm Christian is simply caught between the ways of the world and a true allegiance to God. If you are such a person of compromise, you probably already know it! But just in case you do not quite see the real you, here are a few dead giveaways to the person with a foot in both worlds who is living lukewarm. And let me too say why it is important to recognize these truths in one’s life. It’s really simple. If you are living unhappy and without joy, there is a strong possibility that what I am about to share with you is extremely relevant to your present reality.
Too, if you want to have greater joy in your life, then your awareness of these 5 realities in your life with which I am about to share with you can be the breakthrough you need to reshape your life philosophy with the abundant joy of the Lord!
A two-worlds lukewarm Christian:
Loves the world.
What do I mean when I say that such a person “loves the world?” Well... A lover of the world is attached to, and overly occupied with, the things in the world. You know... a close companion of the one who is a lover of the things of the world: Compromise. Lukewarm Christians never draw a hard line against the ways of the world – jokes; music, movies, entertainment; language. They too seem to always find a way to justify their acts of unholiness. Such a Christian simply adopts, little by little, worldly values that compromise Godly attributes.
A two-worlds lukewarm Christian:
Complains... often.
Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.
Philippians 2:14
I presume we each have people in our lives who consistently complain. And what is interesting... I presume complaining has become such a part of their lives that they do not even see it for what it is – a life without joy! For the consistent complainer, they focus on problems rather than God’s promises. They seem to always be looking for the next “thing” upon which to cast doubt or negativity. Their complaining is evidence of their lukewarm-ness as they seem to exacerbate problems rather than defuse them. Such consistent complaining is true evidence of one who lives with a deficiency of joy.
A two-worlds lukewarm Christian:
Lacks passion for God.
These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught.
Isaiah 29:13
I ask you this morning: Are you more concerned with the way you worship rather than your heart’s position of worship? Isaiah reminds us that: God is repulsed when you base your worship on traditions of how you are accustomed to worship. Religious rituals and traditions may keep one busy at doing churchy things – going to church; serving in a ministry; attending a Life Group. But serving without a passion for the ways of the Christ is nothing more than a busy calendar.
... having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people. 2 Timothy 3:5
Passion for God is what is important to Him – not a tradition; not being busy at good things; not denominational customs; not merely human rules. Yes, traditions can be good and can often lead us into a place of reverence and admiration of our Lord. But traditions should not, must not, supersede a joyful heart that positions a passion for the Lord above traditions.
A two-worlds lukewarm Christian:
Is indifferent toward sin.
Do your sins disgust you? Or do you tolerate, excuse, or justify those areas of your life that are displeasing to God? If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left.
Hebrews 10:26
Paul is writing that the one who continues to sin with no remorse, with no regret, is as one who never receives forgiveness for such sins. In my years of counseling with people who appear lacking true joy in their lives, I find it to be almost always true that such people have become immune to the way in which they justify their sins. And unbeknownst to them, such indifference has mostly consumed their ability to live in the joy of the Lord. Of course, this is understandably so. True joy is found in the life philosophy aligned with the ways of the Lord. One more I will offer for consideration:
A two-worlds lukewarm Christian:
Is content with spiritual mediocrity.
As you consider your philosophy of life, I wonder if you often pause to contemplate the joy or lack thereof you possess in this life. It’s amazing how spiritual maturity runs parallel with the presence of joy in the life of the Christian. The more closely you grow to our Lord, the more joy you will possess. It’s just simply this true. Obviously, the Psalmist knew this truth when he penned this song:
Psalm 16:5-9
And to the contrary, the one who lacks joy is almost inevitably the one who has little interest in developing an intimate and deeper connection with the Christ. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food!
Hebrews 5:12
Answer this question: Are you content with the spiritual posture of your heart? I do not say these words with a judgmental tongue. Nonetheless, if you answered “Yes” to this question, then you are most assuredly content with spiritual mediocrity. One should never arrive at such a position of satisfaction with one’s heart. Even the apostle Paul believed this as he wrote in:
Philippians 3:12-14
You see, Church, the presence of these 5 realities of which I have just shared with you speak to a silent and quiet deception on the part of the enemy that often masquerades as something innocent but can be devastating. Do you see the pattern in these 5 attributes of one who lives less and less with joy?
The enemy knows if he can get you to fall more in love with the ways of the world then you’ll eventually have a heart that becomes immersed in the things of the world.
This will lead to negativity and complaining. It always does. As this happens, you will have less and less of a passion for the ways of God, and thus you will eventually become more indifferent toward sin. As you become less focused on living a life of holiness, it is only natural you become more and more content with spiritual mediocrity. The end result: a life bankrupt of joy.
Scripture confirms to us y’all that each of these realities is what can, and in time, will rob you of life philosophy #7: Joy. Y’all, the truth is... joy is not automatic. It is muscle you must exercise. This is why it is one of the 15 attributes we are dissecting in this series, The Philosophy of Life. So, in our final moments, how do we protect against what I have just shared with you and work to truly experience a life of true joy?
First I will say, we must each, though extremely difficult to do, remember: The presence of joy is not necessarily the result of a life exempt of pain. The presence of joy is a result of a life at peace even in the midst of pain. As humans, it is natural to assume the worse when things get worse. However, it is not biblical. Life is hard, so very hard.
In John chapters 15 and 16, Jesus tells His followers that they are going to be persecuted for believing in Him. He even tells them that they will be killed for what they believe about Him. But look at what He says in the middle of this message to them:
I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. John 15:11
Y’all... A joy that is able to rise above life’s circumstances and that completes you is the joy that comes, not from a life free of pain. Instead, such a joy is found in the very midst of such pain. How do you lean into this joy in, both times of celebration, and in times of tremendous sorrow?
1. Be with God daily.
Joy is found in His presence. Period. The more you are with Him, the more His joy is in you.
You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence. Psalm 16:11
2. Choose gratitude over complaining.
A complaining heart kills joy! It just does. And when you focus on what God has done, rather than on things you do not like, joy fills your heart.
Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
3. Let go of the world.
Ask God to reveal areas where you are holding onto worldly values over His truth.
Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. Colossians 3:2
4. Obey.
Jesus said that abiding in Him brings complete joy.
If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. John 15:10-11
5. Make the choice to trust.
Again, joy is not automatic. It must be cultivated. It comes from a heart fully devoted to God that chooses to trust Him no matter what! Joy is such a unique concept and emotion. It is easy to embrace such a life when life gives you all you want. It is an entirely different dynamic all together when life seems impossible to navigate.
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. James 1:2-4
As your life philosophy continues to take shape, remember: Joy for the follower of the Christ is not about ignoring or pretending life is easy. Of course, it is not! Instead it is about trusting in God with the very, the so very hard, remembering that He is your very joy!
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Jeffrey Dean Smith is a husband, father to Bailey & Brynnan, author, and the Senior Pastor at Donelson First in Nashville, TN. If you are in Music City, meet Jeffrey and enjoy iced tea on the front lawn each Sunday at 10:30a.