Aiming for Joy
“Further, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord! It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you.”
Joy is Crucial
Do you want more Joy in life?
I remember early on in my marriage, when Tim Hawkins, the comedian, was performing at our home church during a comedy night. My wife and I were up in the stands laughing along with everyone else. Tim starts to do some crowd work and then begins asking people how long they’ve been married, he ends up calling on us and we respond we’ve only been married for 6 weeks.
“6 weeks!?” Replied Tim, “What are you doing here!? Did no one tell them what they could be doing?!”
We all died laughing! We were laughing with tears in our eyes and by the end of the night, Kay and I went home so encouraged. Did you know adults only laugh about 10% as much as kids laugh? Are you aware of that? Sometime between childhood and adulthood, people begin to lose laughter and joy. Sometimes I think people see joy as childish or immature. Even in our culture today, joy isn’t something considered trendy or cool.
The truth is joy is so crucial to our lives. Joy and spiritual strength go hand in hand. And scripture actually says, “The joy of the Lord is your strength.” Joy is truly a key component of spiritual strength.
We All Desire Joy
It seems like Joy seems to be everywhere this season. You see it written on ornaments hanging from Christmas Trees and on mugs of hot cocoa. You see it marketed across hats shirts and shoes. You even see it sprawled in large letters across the paper you use to wrap your gifts!
It's playing in the mall over the speakers with songs like, “Joy to the World!” Lyrics that sing things like, “Joyful all we nations rise, join the triumph of the skies.” and “Have a holly jolly Christmas…”
It’s even marketed on TV! I was at my parent’s house and a Hallmark movie was playing in the background. It was virtually the same movie as every other hallmark movie during Christmas time and it had that oh-so-familiar theme of joy.
We are constantly marketed the idea of joy, that you can have joy by doing this action, buying this product, or simply living more “joyful”.
We all desire joy. So why is it that we can see joy everywhere around us and yet so many of us lack joy?
Missing the Mark
The Book of Philippians uses the word joy or rejoice 16 times. And Paul comes back to that command here when he states,
“Further, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord!” - Philippians 3:1a
Matt Emmons, an Olympic marksman, was in a position to win the Gold Medal In the 2004 Olympics three-position event, all he needed to do was hit the target and he would have secured the Gold. He lined up his shot, and with a steady breath, hit the bullseye. The announcement came over the intercom a second later, “Zero Points.” There was a moment of stunned silence followed by shocked exclamations from everyone. You see Matt Emmons had shot a bullseye in the wrong target.
He had shot at the target in the lane next to him on his last shot. “On that shot, I was just worrying about calming myself down and just breaking a good shot, and so I didn’t even look at the number,” Because of this, Matt Emmons had aimed at the wrong target and didn’t achieve the gold medal that year.
Everyone wants to get joy, but most people are aiming at the wrong target.
Paul unpacks this by explaining his past to the Philippians,
“though I myself have reasons for such confidence. If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless.” - Philippians 3:4-6 NIV
For Paul, his past did nothing to build the joy he now possesses. He goes on to explain that whatever were gains before and now losses compared to knowing Christ.
“What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ” - Philippians 3:8 NIV
Why is it that so many people lack joy in their marriage? They’re aimed at the wrong target. Why is it that so many people lack joy in their work? They’re aimed at the wrong target.
Why is it so many people lack joy in their personal relationships? It’s because they’re aimed at the wrong target. It doesn’t matter if you can get a bullseye nine times out of ten if you’re always aimed at the wrong target.
Christ is of infinite worth! His life, ministry, death, and resurrection are the hope we cling to. The promise of forgiveness and salvation. We get to know God himself. This is the incredible surpassing worth of knowing Jesus and being known by Jesus.
God Wants to Give Us Joy
I believe most of us grew up with one of two versions of Christianity. You may have grown up with the version of Christianity that is boring, legalistic, and somber, or you grew up with the version that has joy at the center.
This is why Paul reminds the Philippians to rejoice in the Lord. He does this because Joy is not found in a position but a person. We don’t find lasting joy in circumstances but in Christ. Only then can we be fully ourselves. Chesterton puts it this way,
“Man is more himself, man is more manlike, when joy is the fundamental thing in him, and grief the superficial.” - G.K. Chesterton 1874-1936
What target are you aimed at? Are you aimed at the things of this world? The money, power, positions, and clout amount to nothing in the end, or have you turned your attention to the one who gives everlasting joy? A kind of joy that isn’t dependent upon circumstances or riches. God’s desire for our joy is clear throughout Scripture,
“You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.” - Psalm 16:11
Lord, we thank you for the joy you give us and the joy of knowing you above all other things. Strengthen us in the days to come and let your name be glorified! You gift us joy and your joy is our strength.
