Joy of Christian Life
Periods of sadness, depression and doubts can enter the life of even the most devout Christian. We see many examples of this in the Bible. Job wished he had never been born (Job 3:11). David prayed to be taken away to a place where he would not have to deal with reality (Psalm 55:6-8). Elijah, even after defeating 450 prophets of Baal with fire called down from heaven (1 Kings 18:16-46), fled into the desert and asked God to take his life (1 Kings 19:3-5).
Periods of sadness, depression and doubts can enter the life of even the most devout Christian. We see many examples of this in the Bible. Job wished he had never been born (Job 3:11). David prayed to be taken away to a place where he would not have to deal with reality (Psalm 55:6-8). Elijah, even after defeating 450 prophets of Baal with fire called down from heaven (1 Kings 18:16-46), fled into the desert and asked God to take his life (1 Kings 19:3-5).
So how can we
overcome these periods of joylessness? We can see how these same people
overcame their bouts of depression. Job said that, if we pray and remember our
blessings, God will restore us to joy and righteousness (Job 33:26). David
wrote that the study of God's Word can bring us joy (Psalm 19:8). David also
realized that he needed to praise God even in the midst of despair (Psalm
42:5). In Elijah's case, God let him rest for a time and then sent a man, Elisha,
to help him (1 Kings 19:19-21). We also need friends that we can share our
hurts and pains with (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12). It may be helpful to share our
feelings with a fellow Christian. We may be surprised to find that he or she
has struggled with some of the same things that we are going through.
Most
importantly, it is certain that dwelling on ourselves, our problems, our hurts,
and especially our pasts will never produce true spiritual joy. Joy is not
found in materialism, it is not found in psychotherapy, and it most certainly
is not found in obsession with ourselves. It is found in Christ. We who belong
to the Lord “glory in Christ Jesus, and put no confidence in the flesh”
(Philippians 3:3). To know Christ is to come to have a true sense of ourselves,
and true spiritual insight, making it impossible to glory in ourselves, in our
wisdom, strength, riches, or goodness, but in Christ—in His wisdom and
strength, in His riches and goodness, and in His person only. If we remain in
Him, immerse ourselves in His Word, and seek to know Him more intimately, our
“joy will be full” (John 15:1-11).
Finally,
remember that it is only through God's Holy Spirit that we can find true joy
(Psalm 51:11-12; Galatians 5:22; 1 Thessalonians 1:6). We can do nothing apart
from the power of God (2 Corinthians 12:10, 13:4). Indeed, the harder we try to
be joyful through our own efforts, the more miserable we can become. Rest in
the Lord's arms (Matthew 11:28-30) and seek His face through prayer and
Scripture. “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).
Blessed John Henry Newman always insisted that the Christian
vocation was one of light and joy. “Gloom is no Christian temper; that
repentance is not real which has no love in it; that self-chastisement is not
acceptable which is not sweetened by faith and cheerfulness. We must live in
sunshine, even when we sorrow; we must live in God’s presence; we must not shut
ourselves up in our own hearts, even when we are reckoning up our past sins.”
This last phrase recalls Newman’s other words: “We rise by self-abasement.”
They indicate that his was no easy optimism, for Newman was alive to the bright
and dark side of human nature. “Left to itself, human nature tends to death and
utter apostasy from God, however plausible it may look externally.” These are
sternly realistic words, and not those of a man who would glibly scatter words
about light and joy as a child might fling tinsel for the excitement of the
glitter.
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