Outrageous Joy: Really?
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Joy. Are you kidding me right now? You’re talking about joy, in January? In this January? In the midst of a pandemic that just won’t go away, a nation divided by political turmoil and racial unrest, and our personal and family lives upended by virtual schooling, quarantine fever, and just plain “overwhelm”? Yes, amidst all this, joy seems quite unlikely. Even downright outrageous.
Yet joy is possible—maybe even essential—in this January. And in all the Januaries of our lives. I write this picturing each of you. So many brave moms struggling heroically with what “daily life” brings right now. Others facing additional pain and angst of all kinds: economic stress, joblessness (or the threat of it), or even deeper loss.
I also write this from a place of personal pain. Four months ago I had to place my beloved husband of 52 years in memory care—the toughest decision I’ve ever had to make. I am walking through a whole new chapter of life—one I would never have chosen. But God is walking with me (and my dear Woody), and I am leaning on Him and learning from Him in new and life-giving ways. One thing I am learning is that, as outrageous as it may sound, joy is not only possible—but essential—in dark times.
Which is why I am writing about joy. And also why the following “you’ve got to be kidding” verse comes to mind. You may be familiar with the wording in most translations: “Consider it pure joy . . .” But here it is in the New Living Translation:
“Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.”
Wait! Stop right there! Consider troubles an opportunity for joy? Can James possibly be serious? He goes on to prove his point by affirming how testing and trials refine and mature both our faith and our character development. But I often have a hard time getting past that one verse. I think it is because we misunderstand what joy actually is. A few things I am learning in my long January:
Joy is different from happiness. Completely. I love how Walter Wangerin puts it: “The difference between shallow happiness and a deep, sustaining joy is sorrow. Happiness lives where sorrow is not. When sorrow arrives, happiness dies. It can’t stand pain.” (Reliving the Passion, p. 31) He goes on to explain that joy is rooted in our Christian hope—that hope that does not disappoint.
We need to remember what joy is NOT: It is not faking it, pretending, denying, or “putting on a happy face.” I have a friend who told me that when she was growing up, her mother’s mantra was “only happy feelings.” You can imagine what relational loss that entailed for her daughter.
Jesus gives us joy. If we will only listen to Him and follow His ways. Do you know when Jesus did all his teaching on joy? In the last hours before he was arrested, tortured, and hung on a hideous cross to die an excruciating death. In the Gospel of John, Jesus talks about joy seven times in chapters 13–17, His final discourse and teaching of His disciples. “I say these things . . . so that [you] may have the full measure of my joy within [you.]” (John 17:13 NIV)
Joy is both a gift and a choice. It is a gift that Jesus gave us through His redemptive death and stunning resurrection. What could be more cause for joy than the gift of eternal life? But it is also a choice. If we keep our eyes on Him and focus on the “big picture” of what lies ahead for every believer, there is joy to be had even amidst our tears. Even in the Januaries of our lives. Especially then. Trust me. I know.
“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.”
My prayer for each of you. And me.