The importance of joy - a time for everything *

NORSK
Jesus prepared the disciples for the fact that they for a little while would not see him no more, and then for a little while they would see him again. After a lengthy explanation of what this meant, he said:

“So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.”
John 16:22

There is no doubt that the joy is easy to discover in the stories recorded from the 'repair period' between Easter and Pentecost.

I know there are things in my life that can ruin my joy. In my teens I read that the antithesis to joy is not sorrow, but sin. Over the years I have experienced sorrow from time to time. People can also hurt me, but the joy of having Jesus in my life, no one is able to take away from me. On the other hand, I have almost managed to lose joy completely on my own. That is when I have permitted sin into my life.

Even though I have some concerns and worries, the joy flows in my life an inner stream. When I approach Jesus and he comes to me and we see each other, this blessed joy will come to the surface.

‘Manna’ for today

Because he lives I am filled with joy, and for this joy I live.

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* 'A time for everything' is connected with the Bible's teaching about a 'season for every activity' Eccl 3 This series is about the teaching in the ime between Easter and Pentecost

It is about fruit that gives strength

NORSK
It is almost 40 years since I received my first farewell-orders from Bergen 1. Corps. I had served there as an assistant, and it was my first appointment after I was commissioned as an officer. 

After the farewell meeting, one of the elderly soldiers, Bjarne, came to me and said: 
“You are strong, Jostein!” 
I was a little puzzled by his greeting and asked: 
“Why do you say that?” 
“Because you are joyful!” Bjarne replied, 
“The Bible says that the joy of the Lord is your strength (1) – don’t let anything rob you for the joy in the Lord!”

May be Bjarne had made correct observations, and that joy was the quality of the fruit of the Spirit, which was most evident in my life when I was young. I can certainly point out quite a few of the other qualities that were more absent than present; but Bjarne had the gift of encouragement, and I knew that he had a vibrant relationship with the Lord.

Love is a very strong power, but in a way, love includes the whole strength-register from weak to strong. For example I cannot love without becoming vulnerable. God’s own love proves this fact.

Joy, which is second on the list of characteristics of the fruit of the Spirit (2), is different; it is a quality that strengthens. The first Christian experienced that joy gave them strength in adversity and persecution:

The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.
Acts 5:41 

I believe Paul also received strength in joy. He often faced persecution, imprisonment and flogging before his earthly life was crowned with martyrdom. Still he showed how important joy is through repeating his exhortation to rejoice:

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
Phil 4:4 

I have never managed to identify with the caricatured and sad picture that is often associated with Christians. My Christian upbringing and my adult life as a believer, has been and is a joyful experience. At the same time, I have visited communities of believers, where there has been little room for expressions of joy and rejoicing. Under such circumstances I try to sense if this represents religion or life. There is no doubt the joy belongs to the life of Christ, to the life of the vine. That should indicate that absence of joy means absence of Christ.

Today 'manna':

Holiness is about the strength of the joy in the Lord.

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* A joyful young man in May 1976
(1) Neh 8:10
(2) The fruit of the Spirit is… joy – Gal 5:22

It is about rejoicing

NORSK
For a couple of days I have focused on the burden of a suffering world and of God’s presence. Some will may be question that I label God’s presence and glory as a burden, but it has biblical origin:

For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.
2 Cor 4:17

Paul is literally writing about a “burden of glory” (1). This burden is noticeable when we walk together with him even on this side of eternity. Therefore, we do not only take part in his pain, but also in his rejoicing and singing:

The Lord your God is with you,
the Mighty Warrior who saves.
He will take great delight in you;
in his love he will no longer rebuke you,
but will rejoice over you with singing.
Zeph 3:17

God is not only a god who suffers with us. He rejoices both over us and with us, and we with him. This is also part of the true way of holiness. If joy, rejoicing and singing are not parts of holiness, holiness is just a concept at not any longer holiness. Such 'holiness' has removed itself from both God and the world, and therefore broken away from the ‘other’ trinity, and has become nothing but a pious ritual. 

‘Manna’ for today:

Holiness is also about rejoicing!

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(1) Greek: baros doxes (βάρος δόξης) – the same word for burden is used several times in NT e.g. like in the parable about the workers in the vineyard who complained: “(We) have borne the burden of the work…” Matt 20:12