"And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him."
— Hebrews 11:6
I'm not what you may call a very conventional shopper. On many occasions I've been a pain to sales clerks and store personnel not because I do it on purpose but because I always have these crazy (but practical) ideas to get the best out of a deal.
One time, for instance, I was out looking for a frying pan and I came across a really good one at a good deal. And it came with a free can opener! The only problem was I already had a can opener and didn't need one. So I approached one of the store personnel to see if it was possible to get the frying pan without the can opener and if I could get the price slashed some more. The store personnel just looked at me like I had some contagious disease.
Looking back, I can't help but see a spiritual parallel to that. There are things in our Christian life that come as package deals, but we sometimes try to bargain on just the one part of the deal we want and have the rest removed—things like holiness and grace, purpose and obedience, generosity, prosperity, and the like.
One specific area I notice where some Christians are inclined to refuse a package deal is in the area of faith and joy. You might have heard someone say something like, "I'm okay with following Christ and suffer," or "I will put my faith in Christ even if I'm not happy about it." And as great as that attitude is, sometimes it also turns into this ascetic way of living that God never commands us to do.
A life lived in Christ is always a life lived in joy. When we put our faith in God and it pleases Him, it's just natural that God responds by giving us joy and blessings as well. James 1:2 even says, "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds."
Even in the direst of circumstances God gives joy. So if we walk in faith, what's to stop him from giving us joy nonetheless?
Your joy and your faith always come as a package deal. When you walk in faith, God will give you joy. There's no need to walk in Christ denying yourself of pleasure. God wants you joyous. There is no need to feel bad about being joyous in Christ. As 1 Thessalonians 5:16 tells us, "Rejoice always."
Why walk in joy always? Because we can and because God doesn't just want you to, but insists that you receive His joy whether you feel like you deserve it or not. Stop treating God like a cosmic kill joy. Find joy in Him as you walk in faith in Him.
