The Absence of Joy!
Over the past forty plus years of pastoring God’s people, the opportunity to sit with a folks who had seemingly lost the joy of their salvation has been countless. These individuals were often raised in churches dotted all over the land, They had committed their life to Christ, and had walked in faith for many years, but ran into an immovable wall of a joyless relationship with Jesus. In their life journey they seemd to discover a missing link in their joy experience. As a pastor I sincerely wanted to help them but didn’t know where to start. I remember praying about a direction to go with these individuals the when the Holy Spirit reminded me of this passage.
“Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:1-2, NASB)
I read this passage several times when I began to see what I believe the Holy Spirit really wanted me to see. The passage is so incredibly helpful. It is such a powerful expression of the model that Jesus himself has given us to deal with may seem to be the absence of joy in our life.
To start with, let’s break down some of the words that is used in this passage.
JOY
Thayer Bible Dictionary Definition of JOY:
1) to rejoice, be glad
2) to rejoice exceedingly
3) to be well, thrive
The phrase “SET BEFORE” means:
Thayer Bible Dictionary:
1) to lie or be placed before (a person or a thing) or in front of
2) to set before
2a) to be placed before the eyes, to lie in sight
2a1) to stand forth
2b) to be appointed, destined
The idea here is that joy is an experience that can be present for sure but it also means something laid down in front of us. Something that is “before” us. Sometimes we get a bit confused in that we want a continual, uninterrupted sense of joy when there are times and seasons (Ecclesiastes 3) that we will have to chase our joy. At a particular season in the life of Jesus, He chased joy! It was “set before him.” He had to endure a season of pain, discomfort, death, confusion, etc. to reach the joy that was on his “faith horizon.”
“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1, NASB)
Sometimes we have to “see” the “unseen” power and presence of joy. It has to be a conviction. It has to be an assurance that we will not give up on! It has to be a present hope! It must be a resident fact that is “unseen”!
Chasing joy is often equal to what I call “chasing the faith horizon.” The horizon is “set before us.” It is constantly moving. We can’t see what is beyond the horizon. We have faith that what is beyond the horizon is blessings, challenges, trials, and every now and then, a sense of loss of joy that is waiting on its appointed time of manifestation.
But faith never gives up! Faith declares the righteous unseen hand of God that is staging His manifest will for our lives…just beyond the horizon! We stay focused on the horizon because that’s where our future comes from. Jesus teaches us this in the above passage! The narrative given us by Truth Himself is that there are times in our lives where we have to pursue joy! You can’t look joy up on Amazon and have it shipped to your house. You have to intentionally go after it. When depression, darkness, discouragement, and oppression stare you in the face, we have to chase the joy “set before us.”
Let’s see what a New Testament pastor has to say about it!
“What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself. But someone may well say, “You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected;” (James 2:14-22, NASB)
I coined a phrase during my pastoring journey. It was simply, “forward motion faith.” Let’s stay in forward motion faith! Why? Because you have three choices when it comes to faith. First, you can have no faith. You can live a life without Jesus being your Lord and Savior. If you choose this route then Hell awaits you as a permanent place of the absence of joy. Your choice! Second, you can have faith that collaborates with works (James 2:22). This is the level of faith I want to chase in my life. I want people to see my faith by my works! My works isn’t my faith. My faith only testify’s of my faith. Third, you can have dead faith (James 2:17). Lifeless faith. Fruitless faith. Faith without works. Faith without movement. That which is dead is not moving. I don’t want to have a funeral for my faith! I don’t want to stare down at a casket that has my faith enshrined in it. I want a faith that is full of life, moving faith, forward motion faith. I want a faith that works hand in hand with my works. By my works will my faith be proven!
Dead Faith Pew Monitors!
Sunday after Sunday we have folks who sit in our pews and practice a relationship with the church but not with Jesus! How do I know? I watched it play out in front of me for over forty years of pastoring. The play the role but their faith is dead. They have a “lifeless confession” of faith. It is academic and intellectual but it is not spiritual. Their heart is absent of true faith that chases the joy that is oftentimes “set before us.” Their lives are absent of holiness and righteousness that glorifies Christ. They oftentimes with great fervor chase the things of the world more than they do the King and His kingdom!
Trust me…I want you to experience the joy of Jesus in your life. I want you to know Him in a way that so disciplines your faith that when you have those joyless seasons you can look the one who comes to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10) in the face and say, “Not today Satan! Not today!”
Pastor James did a powerful job defining this for us. I can only hope that we realize that joy is an experience that can “seasonally” be set before us. The idea that our faith walk is a walk through the land of Twinkies and the Dairy Queen is a false narrative. It is a strong delusion that can keep us discouraged and depressed. Don’t fall for it. Chase joy! Jesus did! How much more should we follow His pattern of living? His pattern of living to go after joy! He chased joy! He has a season of pain and struggled with His Father’s will for his life! But he chased the joy set before him.
Chase joy! I dare you to!
simplead 