Find Joy Again! (Rev. Dr. Charley Reeb)
I am about to share with you one of my most embarrassing moments.
The event occurred one weekend as a teenager when my parents drove me to a tennis tournament in another city. After my match, I was hungry, so my dad drove us to Shoney’s. I don’t know if they are still around, but they used to have a big breakfast buffet.
My dad loved to eat. It was a real hobby for him. As a result, he had the “Dunlop” disease. His belly “dun-lopped” over his belt. When he sat down to eat, he would often unbutton his pants so his belly could breathe. This day at Shoney’s was no different. He happily brought back two plates of food to the table, unbuttoned his pants and commenced the eating.
When he finished, he picked up the two plates and went back to the buffet for seconds. However, he forgot to do one very important thing – button up his pants. So, halfway to the buffet, in front of God and everybody, my dad’s pants fell down to his ankles! There he was in the middle of Shoney’s, sporting his tighty whities. I noticed a lady near my dad spit out her pancakes in horror. I am just glad he was wearing underwear that day! I was a teenage kid at the time and I am still scarred by it. My mom turned purple with laughter.
My dad could not use his hands because he was holding two plates. So, the only thing he could do was shuffle his way back to the table. When he got to the table, he threw down the plates and said to us, “I’ll be in the car!” Now, I don’t know if that Shoney’s still exists. They may have gone out of business the next day. If they are still around, you know they are still talking about the man who dropped his pants in the middle of the restaurant.
Such laughter and fun has always been a part of my family. I love to laugh, and you need to know that I have a very loud laugh. I do a lot of things loud. If I think something is funny, I really think it is funny! And that is a good thing, because someone once said that the sound of heaven is not singing, but laughter. Laughter is a very holy act.
Did you know that in the Greek Orthodox Church, laughter is serious business? They have a rich tradition of just telling jokes in the days following Easter. Why? Through their laughter, they are demonstrating the cosmic joke God pulled on Satan by raising Jesus from the grave. The devil thought he had won, but the joke was on him!
When I was a child, I recall my parents watching the show HeeHaw. A few of you may remember that show. It was a variety show of sorts with skits, comedy, and bluegrass and country music.
HeeHaw also had Grady Nutt. Grady was a Baptist preacher and a comedian. Grady Nutt had a saying, “Laughter is the hand of God on the shoulder of a troubled world.”
That’s where I want to begin as we focus on God’s gift of joy. Laughter is the hand of God on the shoulder of a troubled world. Laughter is a gift of God! This is why I agree with Charlie Chaplin who said, “A day without laughter is a day wasted.”
So why do I begin today with all this talk of laughter? The purpose of today’s sermon is quite simple – to help us experience joy! And in my experience, laughter is the quickest way to joy. Joy is one of the fruits of the spirit. In fact, joy is the second fruit listed in Galatians 5 just after love. Unfortunately, joy is often overshadowed by the other fruits of the Spirit. But Joy is a byproduct of following Jesus. The guidance and strength of Christ, along with the experience of being used by him to impact the world, brings us immeasurable joy – more joy than the world could ever give to us.
Now, this does not mean we will never be sad, disappointed, or hurt. It simply means that when we follow Jesus, joy will be a big part of our lives. Joy is not the absence of difficulty. Joy is knowing that Jesus’ presence and strength will always be there for us. That assurance brings us joy. And when others see the joy in us, they will want to know the source of it!
C.S Lewis never lost sight of the sacredness of joy. A group of theologians and scholars once cornered Lewis and asked him, “What is the most important theological discovery you have ever made?” Lewis smiled and responded, “I exist to enjoy God’s enjoyment of me.”
Did you hear that? God enjoys you! God wants you to enjoy him, to enjoy life, to enjoy the world he has created, to enjoy the people he has put in your life.
Scripture backs up God’s call to enjoy life in 1 Timothy 6:17: Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.
The writer of the Proverbs wisely expressed: A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a downcast spirit dries up the bones. (Proverbs 17. 22)
And the Apostle Paul, writing to the Thessalonians: Rejoice always. Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)
“This is God’s will for you…”
A long, long time ago a group of people in the church got together and thought it was important to put together a list of the most important beliefs of Christianity. They called it “Catechism.” But they soon discovered that the list was too long and difficult to memorize, so they came up with a “Short Catechism.” This was to be a summary of the key beliefs of our faith. Do you want to know how this shorter catechism begins? “What is the chief end of humankind? To glorify God and enjoy God forever!”
Ironically, I come across so many people who won’t allow God into their lives because they think God is going to make them give up fun. Many misguided Christians have perpetuated this nonsense. They give off the impression that to become a Christian means the party is over – that being spiritual means being miserable. Makes you wonder if they have drifted away from God.
Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, to become a Christian means the party is just beginning. When you have the joy of Christ in your heart you can’t help but smile and have a good time. After all, God created joy and fun. It was his idea! Why do you think Jesus often compared the Kingdom to a banquet, a party! The closer we get to God the more genuine joy we have. We no longer settle for counterfeit versions of joy around us. There is nothing more joyous than the love and grace of God.
If you don’t believe me, come by the church office during the week. Chances are you will hear singing, laughing, and people having a good time. My number one rule for the staff is to have fun. Ministry is supposed to be fun. We have the most fun job in the world! We get to tell people how much God loves them and that God’s love can help them live better lives. How much fun is that?
God created us to play and to enjoy the life he created! I believe one of the reasons Christians and churches burn out is they lose their sense of play. They lose their joy.
Jesus tells us so. Remember that scene in the gospels when Jesus was teaching while a bunch of playful kids ran toward him. The sour disciples were appalled. You can imagine their reaction. “Children ought to be seen and not heard. Where are their parents? Can’t they see these kids are interrupting Jesus? Get these kids out of here!”
The Bible says that Jesus became very angry at the disciples. He felt the kids were treated unfairly. He said, “What are you doing? Let the children come to me. Don’t get in their way. In fact, unless you can receive the Kingdom like these kids, you will never be able to enter it.”
I have always thought that was an amazing statement from Christ. But having Paul has helped me to truly understand and experience its meaning. Children are receptive, dependent and trusting. They bring nothing but themselves and their joy. Jesus says that unless we are able to receive God and his Kingdom like that we will never understand what faith is all about.
It has been said that “God is happiest when his children are at play.” I believe that. You see, the most beautiful sound in the world to me is the sound of my son Paul’s laughter. It goes straight to my soul and often brings me to tears. Now if I receive that much joy from Paul’s laughter and joy, imagine how much joy God receives from the laughter and joy of all his children. God is happiest when his children are at play.
I was reminded of this when I was playing with Paul at the pool. We were bouncing him up and down in the water. I closed my eyes and listened to the children laughing, splashing and playing. I thought, “This is the sound of the kingdom.”
But soon I really had to practice what I preached. Paul’s older cousins were with us and they begged me to go down the big water slide with them. I had not seen any adults on it all day, but I decided that I could not say no and then preach this sermon. So I began to walk to the slide with them. This may be too much information for you but I have hair all over my body. It is all over my arms and back. And all the kids going to the slide were looking at me like, “What are you doing here and why are you wearing a sweater?” I looked at one kid and said, “You didn’t believe Big Foot existed did you?”
So I went down the slide and it was glorious. I went really fast because on those slides the more weight you are carrying the faster you go. I made a big splash and Paul said, “Let’s do it again Daddy!”
My son Paul reminds me not to lose my joy.
Paul also reminds me of something G.K. Chesterton expressed. Chesterton was a profound Christian writer who inspired C.S. Lewis. He wrote something that I have never been able to forget: “God is the last child left in the universe.” He said the rest of us have just lost our joy. I have thought a lot about those words and I believe Chesterton was on to something. When we read Genesis we see that joy radiated through God as He created the universe. When God created you and me, there was great joy in His heart. For example, do you think when God thought about creating a daisy, He just said, “Um, daisies be”? I don’t think so!
Tony Campolo talks about the time when his grandson was just a little boy and he would play with him on his knee. He would bounce him up and down, lift him up into the air, and bring him down to the ground. Campolo said that every time he would do this his grandson would say, “Do it again, Pop! Do it again!” And Campolo would do it again. Of course, his grandson would say to him once more, “Do it again, Pop! Do it again!”
Campolo says that when God created that first daisy something childlike inside the heart of God said, “Do it again! Do it again!” And after the 4thand 5th daisy God said to himself, “Do it again! Do it again!” And after the 50 billionth, trillionth daisy God was jumping up and down, clapping His hands saying, “Do it again! Do it again!” We have a God of joy, fun, and play!
But something happened to our world. We lost our joy. We lost our sense of fun and laughter. Sin and cynicism crept in and caused us to lose our ability to play. God wanted us to get our joy back, so he came to us in Jesus Christ to forgive us and give us new life! One of the things God said to us in Jesus was, “I have come that they may have life and have it to the full” (John 10:10).
In Jesus God was showing us his joyful personality so that we would get our joy back. At first, the world really did not know how to respond to this. We see an example of this in Luke 7 when Jesus speaks to the Pharisees, the supposed experts of the Jewish Law. They thought they knew everything there was to know about God. Jesus came along and said, “You just don’t get it. I come eating, drinking and having a good time and you accuse me of being a glutton, drunkard and a friend to sinners and tax collectors.”
Someone once said that basically Jesus was accused of being a party animal! They thought Jesus was playing too hard. They thought they had figured God out, but they hadn’t. They thought God was not into fun, games, and play, but they were wrong. They just could not see that Jesus was trying to bring joy and life back to the world.
Do you know what Jesus first miracle was in John? It occurred in a small town called Cana at a wedding party. Now, a wedding party back then could go on for an entire week! Imagine getting that bill! Jesus was invited to this party. So, I want you to appreciate this. One of the first scenes of Jesus in John is not him teaching in the plains or holding a sick person’s hand. It is Jesus at a party!
Well, after a few days they ran out of wine. What do you think Jesus did? Help clean up and say goodnight? No! He told some folks to fill several large jars with water and he performed his first miracle by turning all that water into wine. So, Jesus’ first miracle in John was not healing the sick, feeding the hungry, walking on water, or raising the dead. His first miracle was making about 180 gallons of wine so a party could continue!
The meaning of the miracle is not that Jesus is thrilled when we get intoxicated. Jesus was demonstrating the extravagant forgiveness, life, and joy he came to bring us. Some scholars have suggested that all that wine represents the life-changing, life-giving, all-forgiving blood of Jesus that changes everything. Through that miracle Jesus was showing us that faith in him brings new life and immeasurable, extravagant joy!
When we surrender to the redeeming embrace of Jesus we find joy. I think of it this way. When I was a little boy and would get grumpy and grouchy, my dad had a clever way of changing my mood. He would not lecture me. He wouldn’t tell me that I should be grateful for what I had and not complain. He would get on the floor with me and find a place just above my belly button and blow air bubbles on my tummy. He would do it until I smiled and gave into laughter. Quite simply, this is what God did for us in Jesus. God got down on our level and embraced us so that we would find joy again.
So, how do you find joy again? Pay attention to what brings you joy. We are often so distracted by life, cell phones, TV, etc. that we forget what brings us joy. God often makes appearances in our lives through what brings us joy, but so often we miss them. Joy moments are often God moments.
So, you have homework to do. Go out and find your joy! Take dance lessons and learn how to dance. Turn on your favorite song and sing like no one is watching or listening. Watch your favorite comedy again for the 20th time and laugh your way to joy!
I came across a wonderful quote from an 85-year-old woman from the hill country of Kentucky. I believe these words express what I am trying to communicate today:
“If I had to live my life over again, I would dare to make more mistakes next time. I would relax. I would be sillier. I would take fewer things seriously…I would eat more ice cream and less beans. I would have more actual troubles but fewer imaginary ones. You see I am one of those people who lived seriously and sanely hour after hour, day after day. I’ve been one of those persons who never went anyplace without a thermometer, a hot water bottle, a raincoat, and a parachute. If I had to do it over again, I’d travel lighter.”
What would you say if you had to finish this sentence: “If I had to live my life over, I would…”? Don’t wait to experience God’s joy in your life. Do it now! Learn to play again. Every moment is a gift. This is why we call it “the present.” Enjoy God’s enjoyment of you. Enjoy your life, have fun and play. When you do, you will be very close to the Kingdom of God.
Jesus said, “I have come that they would have life and have it to the full.”
Daily Devotional Guide
Monday: Read Proverbs 17:22. It is not an accident that the second fruit of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5 right after love is joy. Joy is a byproduct of following Jesus. The guidance and strength of his Holy Spirit along with being used by him to impact the world brings us immeasurable joy. This does not mean there will not be times when we are sad, disappointed or hurt. It simply means that when we follow Jesus joy will be a big part of our lives. Joy is not the absence of difficulty. Joy is knowing that Jesus’ presence and strength will always be there for us. What has brought you joy lately? What has made you laugh or smile?
Tuesday: Read John 2:1-11 and John 10:10. These two texts of scripture make it perfectly clear that Jesus brings immeasurably more to our lives than the world ever will. Many folks make the mistake of thinking that the things of this world will bring them contentment and joy. They never do. They never satisfy. Only Jesus can satisfy because in every human heart there is a desire to know and love Jesus. Only Jesus can provide that lasting joy we crave. Can you think of a time when the novelty and joy of something wore off? Maybe it was a childhood toy or a friendship that grew cold. Did those experiences teach you any lessons?
Wednesday: Read 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18. These verses tell us that God’s will for us is to rejoice, pray and give thanks. This is a great formula for finding joy. If you are struggling to find joy, try starting your day with prayer. While you pray, thank God for the good things in your life. This is a quick way to experience joy. Gratitude will always bring us joy. What will you thank God for today?
Thursday: In the sermon on Sunday, we were reminded to pay attention to what brings us joy. We are often so distracted by life, cell phones, TV, etc. that we forget what brings us joy. God often makes appearances in our lives through what brings us joy, but so often we miss them. Joy moments are often God moments. What are the biggest distractions in your life? Today pay attention to what brings you joy and write them down in a journal.
Friday: A tried and true way of finding joy is bringing joy to another person. It doesn’t have to be anything big or complicated. Call up a friend and tell them why you appreciate them. Bake cookies for a coworker. Offer to mow your neighbor’s lawn. Smile at a stranger. Seek to bring joy to another person and you are guaranteed to find joy. How will you bring joy to someone today?