Category: Joy

Letters whose topic focuses on Guilt

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Joy: It’s Worth the Fight

Sweet sister,

Rugged mountain terrain in rural Guatemala, remote villages in the African bush, busy street vendors in Mexico City, they all bring memories of brilliant smiles from joyful and content locals, who seemed to be naturally quite thankful, brimming with hope. I have struggled to understand why in my safe, spoiled, educated, technology-saturated, relatively unencumbered everyday life, joy and contentment seem so elusive. Perhaps I don’t know the deep struggles of those I met on all my college mission trips…. yes, I know I don’t. However, I wonder if those dear brothers and sisters abroad are faced with the need to choose joy more often, and have developed muscles that are only recently being stretched in mine?

Though married to a wonderful man that regularly covers me with love, the past two years have pushed me to the place of needing to choose, more often than ever before. Walking with a mirror of myself forced before me daily, in that beloved man, I’ve seen my miserable state of discontent, and the reality of my sin. You may be familiar with the NY Times bestseller, One Thousand Gifts? That book, that mantra to choose joy, was a lifesaver, path-changer, wisdom-giver and joy-bringer for me, in those early days of marriage. I religiously recorded my daily blessings, in hopes that I would start to believe I was blessed. There were many days, of course, when I felt the blessing and easily gave thanks. Sadly, there were many more in which I inwardly grumbled towards my God and my husband. But slowly, as days turned to weeks, months, and now years, I began to see my heart naturally (miracle of all miracles!) CHOOSE! I started to realize that not only could I choose, but also that before choosing, I was chosen by an Almighty God. The only Wise God who planned my steps, was worthy of my praise, regardless of whether I wanted to give it or not. I’ve found so much freedom in just making the choice to follow Christ, and my husband, with JOY through confusing and frustrating circumstances. I’ve found that there is victory in knowing I can be joyful even when everything around me screams that there is no option but misery, despair, hopelessness. I am living proof that joy and hope shine most brightly in the darkness. For it is there that we need it most, and are forced to fight for the air to breathe, the wind of joy that fills our souls, and gives us wings to soar over the darkest of valleys.

Oh sweet sister, though you may be tempted to give in to the depths of the pit where you have fallen, reach out a hand to a friend for help, cry out to God for His ever-present saving mercy, start recording every possible little thing you might be able to see as a gift from God. Look to the last verse in the following passage, and see that all things, even the hard things, are gifts from God. Your pain is real; so believe me when I tell you it won’t be easy to choose. But it will be worth it. In years past, as I confessed to a friend today, I tried to ignore this passage from James 1, but now it brings me sweet peace:
2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. 6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do….12 Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him….17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. 18 He chose to give us birth through the word of truth that we might be a kind of first fruits of all he created.
You are chosen in the Beloved One, now it’s your turn to choose joy.
Your sister, Ruth

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Enter into the Joy of the Lord

My Dearest Sister,

​If you watch the news, listen to the radio, or read the paper, then you know it is impossible to get very far without finding out about some horrendous act of violence, terrible accident, or unfortunate set of events. These stories never cease to shock and sadden us and so often they seem to come faster than we can even process them: Bombings, building explosions, homicides, kidnappings, school shootings, horrific car crashes. It is impossible to hear of such things without feeling some of the devastation, sadness, and fear that have gripped the lives of those involved. As a result, these stories are so often a reminder of the frailty of life, of how suddenly we can have our families, our homes, our security, and even our very happiness ripped from our grasp in one tragic moment. So how do we, dear sister, approach the topic of joy in the light of all the sorrow around us? If everything we have in this world can be taken away in a split second, as these stories and even some of our own lives have testified, how is it possible to have any lasting joy at all?

​The answer to that question lies in the source of our joy. Most of us in this world have at least some measure of happiness invested in our earthly circumstances, and as we should, for I do believe that God wants us to enjoy the blessings He has given us. However, we know that all things in this world will one day come to an end, meaning that any joy tied to this world will end as well. The only way we can have true and lasting joy then, my beloved sister, is when the main source of our joy does not come from this world, but from the promise we have in Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 1:3-4 assures us of this promise, saying we have an eternal future with our Savior, one that is “incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away”. Peter continues on in verses 6 and 7: “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith… tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” You see, God knew we were going to have hardships and suffering in this life; But He also instructs us through Peter to rejoice that these trials are temporary and instead we have an eternal, undefiled inheritance in Him to look forward to.

​Jesus Himself says we will not be strangers to sadness while waiting for His return, but also tells us that the joy that is to come will outweigh any heartache we will experience on this earth: “Most assuredly, I say to you that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; and you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy. A woman, when she is in labor, has sorrow because her hour has come; but as soon as she has given birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has born into the world. Therefore you now have sorrow; but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you.” (John 16:20-22).

I don’t know about you, but words cannot express the hope that fills me when I read that promise! Not only does Jesus intimately know my sorrows but He also has given me the assurance of that sorrow being quickly changed to joy when I see Him for the first time. And furthermore, He has promised me that no one can take that joy away; It is permanent and will not fade for all eternity. The hope we have for this joy is what keeps us going, through all the trials, all the pain, and all the sadness we will experience on this earth.

​So you see, my sister, suffering and joy are inextricably tied together. We cannot experience the joy Christ has set aside for us without going through the fiery trials. Indeed, it is the sorrow and the sadness that actually cause us to look forward to this unfading joy with such steadfast hope. If we had nothing but an easy life filled only with happiness, then the promise of eternal joy would not have nearly the same impact. Therefore, we have every reason to rejoice in the face of our earthly trials, knowing that they will one day be replaced by more happiness than we can possibly imagine. My response then, to the earlier question of how we have lasting joy in a world of strife and sadness is this: We have had it all along! This permanent, unfading joy has already been promised to us as believers; That’s the beauty of God’s plan for us. Yes, we will still experience sorrow and pain in this life, but the hope we have in the joy that is to come is ours to hold on to. No one can take it away from us.

​With this promise of eternal joy in our hearts, we can stand strong in our faith no matter what sorrows, tragedies, or horrific trials befall us. Know, dear sister, that this kind of resolute faith is powerful. It is how Jesus’ disciples and followers were able to go preach the Word, bearing up under the weight of ridicule, tortures, and even death. Because of his faith in the joy to come, the apostle Paul was able to sing praises to the Lord while shackled in dark and gloomy cells. And every martyr, minister, and missionary throughout the world has been able to face the daily threats, dangers, and persecutions for the same reason: They all lived every day on this earth in the light of their eternal future, always focusing on the joy that was set before them.

​My final question to you is this: If we had the same grasp on the lasting joy that is to come, what would we do differently? Maybe we would live each day a little more for the glory of God and a little less for ourselves; Maybe we would stop caring so much about what other people might think or do if they didn’t agree with our faith; Maybe, just maybe, we would be able to share our hope for lasting joy in Christ Jesus with someone who has none at all. Don’t be discouraged, my lovely sister, by the sorrows and troubles of this world, for we know they are temporary. Instead, live today and every day in the light of your eternal future, always looking unto the joy that has been set before you in the Lord.

​Grace to you and peace from God the Father and ​Jesus Christ our Lord.

​Your sister and friend,
​~ Lauren Titcomb

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Feeding Our Joy

It’s hard maintaining joy in the Lord. My dear sister, you’re not alone when your heart grows cold toward the Lord, when you’re spiritually dry, when the fire only smolders—when the joy is gone. You are not alone.

But to comfort you, sweet friend, it’s not enough to say you’re not alone. Misery might love company, but company can’t change misery. I write to encourage and exhort you to find your joy again…by looking in the right places.

No one goes to McDonald’s to order fillet mignon. Yet this is what we do when we look for joy in the fleeting things of this world. Are you like me? Do you try to find joy in the comforts of life, in food, in silly distractions, in achievements, in the recognition of others, etc., etc.? I beg you to remember, sister, that joy is not found here. Let’s get out of McDonald’s.

What were we doing there anyway? We are daughters of the King! Our Father can afford to give us the best. And he already has. He has given us his only Son. We already possess the Living Water, the Bread of Life; everything else is just an imitation.

Your soul, oh beloved daughter of the King, refuses to be satisfied by the cheap junk food of worldly pleasures. The Spirit within you, the Spirit of Christ, craves the weighty, the transcendent, the beautiful, the true. You’re only truly satisfied by eternal things. Why is this so? Because you are a new creation and, like Christ, you’re deepest desire is for God. The weighty, the transcendent, the beautiful, the true, these all point us to God.

So sister, will you join me? Let’s stop this childish game of hide and seek; we know where joy isn’t found, so let’s stop looking there. Let’s stop gratifying our cravings for worldly pleasures. I’m sure you’ve noticed that giving in only creates a vicious cycle of stronger cravings, more frequent sin, and eventually, joylessness. Instead, let’s gratify the cravings of the Spirit within us for the things of God. I’m sure you’ve also noticed that this creates a happy cycle of stronger cravings, righteousness, and joyfulness.

Only feeding on Christ, only abiding in him can satisfy these cravings. John 15 tells us that abiding in Christ means depending on him for everything (including our joy) and obeying his commandments. We become satisfied and joyful when we feed on the food he’s given us for our soul. Oh sister, go head, please gratify your desires for the Word, for fellowship, for corporate worship, for time with the Lord, for good teaching, for good works. Trade in your junk food for real food and you will find joy.

And always remember, my dear sister, trust not in your own efforts to pull yourself out of the pit of joylessness. Humble yourself before the Lord. Admit you have not the joy he commands. Your faithful and loving Savior stands ready to embrace you in his arms, ready to draw you into his intimate presence and give you the joy you so long for. He is the very source of our joy, and he can never be taken away from us. His promises and steadfast love endure forever.

In Him,
your sis, Sarah

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Not-So-Elusive Joy

Dear Sisters,

Joy, for me, is one of the more elusive passions of life.  I struggled with finding much to write about joy (a good indication I needed to wrestle and write about this).  My favorite place to start is the dictionary.  I love to get to the true root of a word or thought.  One of Webster’s 1828 definitions for joy is;  “n. A glorious and triumphant state–, who for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross.  Hebrews 12:2″

I often march through the house, grim and determined to get the cleaning finished and kids through their schoolwork.  I will the laundry to be done and dinner to be delicious (that’s after I figure out what it is going to be).  All while giving a passing thought to perhaps not being quite so tight-lipped and quick to order the kids about.  They probably think I hate my job at times, while I most definitely do not.  I have had other careers and I love my stay-at-home, run-my-own-shop job!  I cannot even imagine another job I would rather have.  That being said, I thrive on challenges and perfection.  I will gladly deny myself relaxation and other treats until after all the work is done.  I look askew at my husband when he sits down with a movie and a treat while dishes are piled in the sink.  HOW can he enjoy himself when the dishes need-to-be-done?!

I like the above definition of joy.  Muscles clenched, sweat dripping, suffering, accomplishing much.  Yes!  Digging deeper, ironically, this definition is a noun.  As Christ hung on the cross, he didn’t have this joy; He saw it in the distance and accepted He would endure to receive it.

Another definition: “v. to rejoice; to be glad; to exult –I will joy in the God of my salvation. Habakkuk  3:18 ” A verb this time, an action!!  Getting excited about God and His salvation—I can do that!  Yet, take a look at the tiny book of Habakkuk, this definition’s reference.  The prophet saw destruction and distress coming, famine and want.  This book certainly does not have a party theme to it, yet even in his tears, Habakkuk found himself rejoicing in God’s salvation.  “The Lord God is my strength, and He has made my feet like hinds’ feet, and makes me walk on my high places.”  Hab. 3:19

Perhaps joy is not as elusive as I previously thought.  It is not circumstantial.  It is, however, reliant on our immutable, unchangeable, wholly good God.  How glad I am that He is the root of my joy—my circumstances may change, my life may utterly disintegrate, but He has, is, and always will be the end;  The most perfect, glorious end.  As C.S. Lewis put it at the end of The Last Battle, “And as He [Aslan] spoke He no longer looked to them like a lion; but the things that began to happen after those were so great and beautiful that I cannot write them.  And for us this is the end of all the stories, and we can most truly say that they all lived happily ever after.  But for them it was only the beginning of the real story.  All their life in this world and all their adventures in Narnia had only been the cover and the title page:  now at last they were beginning Chapter One of the Great Story, which no one on earth has read:  which goes on forever: in which every chapter is better than the one before.”

Running with You,

Rebecca

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Smell the Roses

I wasn’t looking forward to writing this letter to you, dear sister.  It wasn’t that I didn’t want to write but that I feel like the last thing I have wisdom in is seeking and having joy. I don’t feel joyful. Instead, I feel weak, angry, jaded, and even apathetic toward God and my faith. I find that I even brush away encouragement, preferring to selfishly insist on my own way and deal with certain situations on my own terms.

My dear sister, it is certainly easy to become discouraged in our walk with the Lord. We start to look at other people’s lives and say, “Why hasn’t that happened for me? Why is it that I’m not as strong as her? If I just had this one thing I would be happy, right?”

I’ve had to make a life-changing decision recently. I don’t particularly care for the permanence such decisions deliver. Having to choose between two distinct paths, knowing that to choose one is to forsake the other is slightly terrifying. So I’ve put off making a “real” decision. But now, certain events have demanded a legitimate answer to my painstaking question. What am I going to do?

As I began thinking through my decision, I realized that the decision I wanted to make and the decision I needed to make were not the same. I wanted to quit, to give up, and to run away. I kept telling myself it was too late for me to ever be “good enough.”

The decision I needed to make involves a lot of hard work, time, and discipline. My past never fails to remind me that I don’t have a good track record when it comes to discipline and perseverance. Why should this time be any different?

This dilemma has revealed one truth: I am weak. I am weak and I cannot be strong in my own power. But Nehemiah 8:10 reminds us, saying, “the joy of the Lord is our strength.”  While it is a comforting statement, it begs the question: how can I have strength, when I don’t have joy?

Joy comes from contemplating the beauty, glory, and love of God. How can we be sorrowful when pondering the majesty of a sunrise, or the might of the great oak trees? How can we be sad when we remember Christ’s sacrifice and His victory over sin and death? But I have neglected these wonders of late; my thoughts have fallen onto myself. Is it any wonder then that I have fallen into discontent and apathy?

To choose what I need over what I want may be the hardest thing I will ever have to do. But I know that what I need is what is ultimately going to bring glory to God. And contemplating that reality is what brings me joy, and in turn my strength.

I don’t know what you’re struggling with today, my dear sister, but in all things make sure you take the time to watch the sunset, revel in a thunderstorm, and well, smell the roses!

Pursuing a higher joy,

Kayla