Over the years of my pastoral journey I ministered to many people who seemed to be chasing the experience of joy in their lives. These individuals were raised in church, had committed their lives to Christ, and had walked out their faith journey for many years. But due to life in general, critical events in their lives and often times facing a plethora of tragedies, joy became the elusive anchor for them. This intrigued me and I wanted to really help these precious sheep that were hurting. When praying about a direction to go with these folks 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 it several times when I began to see what I believe the Holy Spirit really wanted me to see. The passage is so incredibly amazing. It is such a powerful expression of the model that Jesus himself has given us to deal with what 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
The idea here is that joy is an experience that can be resident in our lives 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 sense of joy (which understood scripturally is possible) when there are times and seasons (Ecclesiastes 3) that we will have to chase our joy. We will have to pursue it. It’s out front of us. 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.” The writer of Hebrews gives us this insight to faith, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1, NASB). In my simple way of interpreting this passage, it means that faith is like chasing the horizon. It’s ever moving in front of us. We can see a manifestation of something “out front” of us but only if we stay in forward motion.
Sometimes we have to “see” the “unseen” sense of joy. It has to be a conviction. It has to be an assurance that we will not give up or trade for anything else.
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. We want the manifestation and the solid experience of joy, but it isn’t coming easy for us.
Faith Never Uses Park – It Stay in Drive!
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! If we put our life in “park” we will miss what God has in store for us. If we stay in “drive” we will meet joy on our faith journey. 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, doubt, unanswered questions, and oppression, stare you in the face, we have to chase the joy “set before us.” To find joy we have to oftentimes pursue joy!
Pastoral Advice from the Past!
“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 when I was pastoring. It was simply, “forward motion faith.” I challenge you to 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 a part of your life as Savior and Lord! Hell awaits you as a permanent place of the absence of joy. Second, you can have faith that collaborates with works (James 2:22). Third, you can have dead faith (James 2:17). Lifeless faith. Fruitless faith. Faith without works. Faith without movement. Faith that sits in “park!” 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.” I remember a parent saying to me sometime back in relationship to their children: “We raised them to have a relationship with the church but not with Jesus!” How sad! I hate to admit it but this may be part of the problem with the absence of joy in so many church attenders. They become disappointed, disillusioned, hurt, confused and simply let down by the church and or its leadership. Joy becomes contingent on human leadership instead of the Lordship of Christ. My joy is in Jesus! Our joy is in Jesus! People will let you down but He will never let you down!
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, and all of us will, 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!” Keep your faith in “drive” and don’t let the enemy fool you into putting in “park” for any length of time!
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!
Read these scriptures for added instruction and encouragement!
“for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. For he who in this way serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. So then we pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another.” (Romans 14:17-19, NASB)
“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:13, NASB)
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,” (Galatians 5:22, NASB)
“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. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” (Hebrews 12:2-3, NASB)
“Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy,” (Jude 1:24, NASB)
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