Being Joyful

Philippians 4:4-13, 19
Related Sunday School Lesson, Family Bible Series, July 17

Many people who were raised in church remember singing this song as a child: “I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart … and if the devil doesn’t like it he can sit on a tack!” Another song says, “This joy that I have, the world didn’t give it to me; the world didn’t give it, and the world can’t take it away.”

Is it possible for Christians to experience a deep, abiding joy in the real world? Can we have a supernatural joy that the world, with all its pressures, can’t take away? Paul indicates in Philippians 4:4 that Christians can have that joy “always.”

Joy is not Happiness, Phil. 4:4-5

Happiness is a shallow, fragile emotion that is totally dependent on what happens (that’s why it is called “happiness”). When good things happen, we are happy; when bad things happen, we are unhappy. Joy is different, it is deeper, and it is independent of circumstances. Someone has said, “Joy is like the sun, always shining even when night falls or clouds cover it. Happiness is like the moon, waxing and waning.”

It is helpful to think of joy as a perspective on life that our faith gives to us. The source of this joy is “in the Lord.” It is a deep sense of well being based on the character, the promises, and the abilities of God.

With the “joy perspective,” we can find a reason to rejoice in any circumstance, because He never changes. The command to “rejoice always,” which Paul doubled for emphasis, is a command to choose that perspective – our powerful, loving God is with us (v.5, “at hand”) and He will take care of us.

Conquering the Kill-Joys, Phil. 4:6-7

Paul mentions something that will keep us from choosing the joy perspective: worrying, or being anxious, about how our needs will be met. The Greek word for worry, merimna, means to be pulled apart in different directions: “How are my children going to turn out? Will I have enough money to retire? Will my marriage last? Can I pay my bills this month?” The Bible teaches that instead of being pulled in different directions by worry, we should be pulled in only one direction, upward in prayer.

When we have needs, whether they are financial, physical, relational, emotional or spiritual, we should take them to God in prayer. These prayers should be specific. Instead of vague prayers such as, “Lord, meet my needs,” Paul indicates that we should specify our needs.

We can detail our requests, listing each particular need in prayer. When we choose to take these requests to God we are expressing our faith in Him to meet our needs. This kind of trust rids us of worry and frees us to experience joy.

The Secret of Contentment, Phil. 4:10-13, 19

The Apostle Paul knew what it meant to be in need. Think of how difficult it must have been for him to battle worry and to choose joy. He was often beaten, mocked, and arrested. He had been stoned, starved, and shipwrecked. Yet in all these things Paul had learned the secret of contentment.

“Content” (v.11) actually means “self-reliance.” In this context it refers to Paul’s ability to be joyful regardless of his financial situation or how others treated him. His joy came from inside himself (where Jesus lived), and was thus independent of external circumstances. What was his secret?

First, Paul had learned to trust Jesus to give him strength to endure hard times. When we are faced with difficult situations, our impulse is often to look to outside sources for help. We call in favors from other people, we exert our influence or our borrowing power, and we even resort to dishonest ways to deal with our problems.

When other people refuse to help and our schemes backfire, we are left weak and brokenhearted. But when we trust in Christ alone for help, we find in Him a steady source of supernatural strength.

Second, Paul had learned to trust Jesus to provide for his needs. God’s ability to supply (literally “to make full”) our needs is infinite. There is no limit to what God can provide, not even our ability to ask Him for it (Ephesians 3:20). He meets our needs “according to His riches in glory,” which are unlimited. As we trust in God through times of great need, our joy can be unlimited, too.

Questions for discussion:

Philippians 4:8 teaches us to think about things that are true, noble, just, pure, lovely, good, virtuous, and praiseworthy. What do our thoughts have to do with experiencing the joy of the Lord?

When we are worrying and fretting about our problems, what are some ways we can “trigger” thoughts that will produce joy? (Suggestions: listening to Christian music, quoting a Bible verse, phoning an accountability partner).

In Jesus, Man of Joy, Sherwood Wirt wrote, “If the way to heaven turns out to be a difficult steep climb, joy sets up the chair lift.”

Can you share an experience in which the joy of the Lord lifted you out of anxiety or depression? How did you come to experience that joy?