The thing about joy that we might not understand is that it does not come naturally. It is something that we must fight for. There is an enemy out there that wants to steal your joy. We will always have some reason to not be joyful. But in all of this, we must always strive for joy as Jesus did.
Philippians 4:4 boldly proclaims, "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice." We can and must find joy, and Scripture tells us that we find it in the Lord. But it is something that we must seek and we must work to protect. Here are six lies that could rob you of your joy.
Lie #1 | My happiness matters most. The paradox of the pursuit of joy is that the more we make it a priority and an end goal, the faster it slips away. Jesus gives us the command in Matthew 6:33 to "But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you," including our joy. It's not our happiness that matters most, but God's and when He rejoices so do we.
Lie #2 | God's plan does not necessarily bring joy. When we think of God's purposes as simply work with the absence of pleasure and delight, we water down it's true essence. God's plan is "good, pleasing and perfect," (Romans 12:2) which are key elements that bring joy to us.
Lie #3 | I cannot enjoy life and walk in God's ways. David's heart battles this lie too well. He says in Psalm 40:8 "I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart." God's laws are not killjoy rules that are meant to shoot down enjoyment. They are meant to protect our enjoyment in a way that legitimately brings God's blessings.
Lie #4 | Sin is more pleasurable than righteousness. Sin may seem more pleasurable than righteousness but the enjoyment of immorality never lasts. And worse than that is that it actually robs you of your joy in the long run. Only in God's righteous and holy ways can we find true enjoyment.
Lie #5 | The joy of salvation diminishes with time. As Psalm 51:12 says, "Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit." While the joy of our salvation can be lost in this broken and twisted world, it can be restored at any point and anytime with your walk with God if we simply ask for the Holy Spirit to bring it once more and sustain it throughout.
Lie #6 | Joy comes from this world. One of the facets of the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22) is joy. Joy ultimately comes from God and not from this world. All things in this world that can bring joy - material wealth, relationships, ministry and others - still come from God and are ultimately a working of His graciousness to us.
