Have you ever asked yourself the question, “Where has the joy in my life gone?” This usually happens when life feels stagnant and nothing makes us happy or even smile. We once had a face that shining as bright as the sun, but now our face is as long as the day. Maybe this isn’t you, but I believe we have all felt this way at one time or another in our life.
Many Christians have a vibrant and exciting faith, carrying around an upbeat and positive attitude, with confidence and joyfulness. But something along the way causes our joy to dissipate like a swimming pool being drained. Some even feel as though they have lost their salvation experience, or at least they have lost the joy of their salvation. Where did the joy go? Did it evaporate from our lives?
Is this the way that Jesus wants for us feel? The answer is no; Jesus has something to say about that in John 15:11 (ESV) that reads, “These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.”
If the fullness of Christ’s joy has eluded you recently, or if a painful memory in your past is keeping you down, then we need to do something about it. Although the following list is not all inclusive, and it may not apply to each one of us individually, these are definite reasons for the theft of joy in many Christian lives.
Let’s look at some reasons for this, and what to do about it.
Reason One: Legalism.
Legalism is the distorted view of theology that reduces Christianity to a set of rules to follow. This is loaded with guilt-inducing mechanisms that robs the believer of joy. It transforms the relationship with Christ into a religious system that moves us away from a God-centered relationship to a position driven by what we have to do.
The answer to legalism is a love-relationship centered on and with Jesus Christ. God did not create us to follow a set of rules or to teach us a program to endure. His love is not dependent on us doing or not doing certain activities in our lives. Sometimes following a list of do’s and don'ts may even come between us and God and hurt our relationship with Him. We have been created to have a love relationship with Him.
Jesus says in John 15:9 (ESV), “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.” When we let go of legalism and engage in a love relationship with Jesus Christ, we can once again experience and express joy.
Reason Two: Sin.
We will still sin, or at least sin less, until we enter Heaven after this life is over, (or we are taken up in the Rapture by Jesus). So, until that that time, sin must be dealt with. But we don’t deal with sin; Jesus deals with sin. John 15:13 (ESV) says, “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” He does it, not us. On our own we can’t build up enough power to control sin, we have to confess it to God and allow Him to help us to overcome it.
Sin and joy cannot occupy the same space in our hearts. A little sin that remains unconfessed can expand like a little yeast, and squeeze out all of our joy. Just like a little pinch of yeast that expands bread dough, it doesn’t take much sin to eradicate a lot of joy. We need to confess our sins and allow God to deal with it, and to fill us with joy.
1 John 1:9 (ESV), “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Reason Three: Practical Atheism.
Trust me on this, many Christians believe in God but live their lives with little or no confidence that God can and will handle the details of their lives. Practical atheists believe God will save them from hell but have difficulty believing that God will handle the affairs of their day-to-day life. How you and I live is a testimony of what we believe about God.
For the Christian, joy centers on belief. Faith is the confidence that what God has promised to do, or said will come to pass, and will do what He says He will do. Faith trusts the only true and living God with the details of our lives. How we live determines what we believe about God, regardless of what we say we believe.
Mark 9:23-24 (ESV) tells us, “Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”
If you have doubts, ask Jesus to help you with the unbelief, because God is looking for an honest response from us. He will turn the doubt we may have to the joy of believing that all things are possible with Him. This includes restoring our joy!
Reason Four: Success.
There is no place in the Bible that says that a Christian can’t have money, a home, or experience success. The real issue is replacing God with success. Or in other words, the problem is replacing God with the perceived outcomes of success such as prestige, riches, position, fame, and ego. It is an unfounded belief that material things bring us joy.
God wants us to succeed in life. He tells us that we are chosen by Him and makes us a promise. In John 15:16 (ESV), “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.”
He promised that He will give us whatever we ask in His name, but on His
terms. His terms are simple and shown in Matthew 6:33 (ESV), “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”
Joy comes when we put Christ on the throne of our lives, not success. Joy comes when we allow Christ to control our lives and not allowing our possessions to possess us.
It reminds me of the children’s praise and worship song that says “Joy is the flag flown high from the castle of my heart when the King is in residence there.” True joy comes by submitting our lives to Christ as King.
Today, make a choice to replace the things of this world and self, and ask God to help you. 1 Peter 1:8 (KJV) says we will, “rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory.”
Blessings and stay safe,
Pastor Chuck
Many Christians have a vibrant and exciting faith, carrying around an upbeat and positive attitude, with confidence and joyfulness. But something along the way causes our joy to dissipate like a swimming pool being drained. Some even feel as though they have lost their salvation experience, or at least they have lost the joy of their salvation. Where did the joy go? Did it evaporate from our lives?
Is this the way that Jesus wants for us feel? The answer is no; Jesus has something to say about that in John 15:11 (ESV) that reads, “These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.”
If the fullness of Christ’s joy has eluded you recently, or if a painful memory in your past is keeping you down, then we need to do something about it. Although the following list is not all inclusive, and it may not apply to each one of us individually, these are definite reasons for the theft of joy in many Christian lives.
Let’s look at some reasons for this, and what to do about it.
Reason One: Legalism.
Legalism is the distorted view of theology that reduces Christianity to a set of rules to follow. This is loaded with guilt-inducing mechanisms that robs the believer of joy. It transforms the relationship with Christ into a religious system that moves us away from a God-centered relationship to a position driven by what we have to do.
The answer to legalism is a love-relationship centered on and with Jesus Christ. God did not create us to follow a set of rules or to teach us a program to endure. His love is not dependent on us doing or not doing certain activities in our lives. Sometimes following a list of do’s and don'ts may even come between us and God and hurt our relationship with Him. We have been created to have a love relationship with Him.
Jesus says in John 15:9 (ESV), “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.” When we let go of legalism and engage in a love relationship with Jesus Christ, we can once again experience and express joy.
Reason Two: Sin.
We will still sin, or at least sin less, until we enter Heaven after this life is over, (or we are taken up in the Rapture by Jesus). So, until that that time, sin must be dealt with. But we don’t deal with sin; Jesus deals with sin. John 15:13 (ESV) says, “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” He does it, not us. On our own we can’t build up enough power to control sin, we have to confess it to God and allow Him to help us to overcome it.
Sin and joy cannot occupy the same space in our hearts. A little sin that remains unconfessed can expand like a little yeast, and squeeze out all of our joy. Just like a little pinch of yeast that expands bread dough, it doesn’t take much sin to eradicate a lot of joy. We need to confess our sins and allow God to deal with it, and to fill us with joy.
1 John 1:9 (ESV), “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Reason Three: Practical Atheism.
Trust me on this, many Christians believe in God but live their lives with little or no confidence that God can and will handle the details of their lives. Practical atheists believe God will save them from hell but have difficulty believing that God will handle the affairs of their day-to-day life. How you and I live is a testimony of what we believe about God.
For the Christian, joy centers on belief. Faith is the confidence that what God has promised to do, or said will come to pass, and will do what He says He will do. Faith trusts the only true and living God with the details of our lives. How we live determines what we believe about God, regardless of what we say we believe.
Mark 9:23-24 (ESV) tells us, “Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”
If you have doubts, ask Jesus to help you with the unbelief, because God is looking for an honest response from us. He will turn the doubt we may have to the joy of believing that all things are possible with Him. This includes restoring our joy!
Reason Four: Success.
There is no place in the Bible that says that a Christian can’t have money, a home, or experience success. The real issue is replacing God with success. Or in other words, the problem is replacing God with the perceived outcomes of success such as prestige, riches, position, fame, and ego. It is an unfounded belief that material things bring us joy.
God wants us to succeed in life. He tells us that we are chosen by Him and makes us a promise. In John 15:16 (ESV), “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.”
He promised that He will give us whatever we ask in His name, but on His
terms. His terms are simple and shown in Matthew 6:33 (ESV), “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”
Joy comes when we put Christ on the throne of our lives, not success. Joy comes when we allow Christ to control our lives and not allowing our possessions to possess us.
It reminds me of the children’s praise and worship song that says “Joy is the flag flown high from the castle of my heart when the King is in residence there.” True joy comes by submitting our lives to Christ as King.
Today, make a choice to replace the things of this world and self, and ask God to help you. 1 Peter 1:8 (KJV) says we will, “rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory.”
Blessings and stay safe,
Pastor Chuck
RSS Feed