When I think of spiritual disciplines, I usually think of reading the Bible, prayer and fasting (although I hardly ever fast and when I do I think I am headed for a near death experience). The word "discipline" conjures up images of suffering and hardship. We desire to be obedient though and so we do as the Lord has commanded. Its all about being obedient. Obedience, a word that usually carries a pretty negative connotation.
That is why learning that God commands us to be joyful was a shocker that changed my life several years ago. Could that be right? That God actually demands that we be happy? That His glory is on the line and that He insists upon us being a joyous people? That He cares just as much about our enjoyment of life as He does our living clean lives? Yes, that is exactly how it is. God wants us to be happy because He wants us to be intimately close to Him. Long faces and long lists of do's and dont's are not God's idea of being like Christ. Being glad in God is what I hope most for myself in this life.
Is there Scriptural evidence that God cares about our joy? Yes, there is, and here is the cliff notes version. Galatians lists the fruit of the Spirit and checking in at #2 is joy. The Psalmist writes "in His presence is the fullness of joy". Peter says that because we believe we are filled with a "glorious and inexpressible joy." Paul commanded the church at Thessalonica to "be joyful always." James even tells us to consider hardship "pure joy."
At times joy will have to be fought for. Other times it will come easy. May we always remember though that God is not only "okay" with us being happy people who laugh and have a great time in this world, but that He has actually commanded us to live that way.
That is why learning that God commands us to be joyful was a shocker that changed my life several years ago. Could that be right? That God actually demands that we be happy? That His glory is on the line and that He insists upon us being a joyous people? That He cares just as much about our enjoyment of life as He does our living clean lives? Yes, that is exactly how it is. God wants us to be happy because He wants us to be intimately close to Him. Long faces and long lists of do's and dont's are not God's idea of being like Christ. Being glad in God is what I hope most for myself in this life.
Is there Scriptural evidence that God cares about our joy? Yes, there is, and here is the cliff notes version. Galatians lists the fruit of the Spirit and checking in at #2 is joy. The Psalmist writes "in His presence is the fullness of joy". Peter says that because we believe we are filled with a "glorious and inexpressible joy." Paul commanded the church at Thessalonica to "be joyful always." James even tells us to consider hardship "pure joy."
At times joy will have to be fought for. Other times it will come easy. May we always remember though that God is not only "okay" with us being happy people who laugh and have a great time in this world, but that He has actually commanded us to live that way.
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