The world-changing power of joy
By Jennifer Slattery
Reading the Bible
You became imitators of us and of the Lord, because you welcomed the word in the midst of suffering with the joy that came from the Holy Spirit. – 1 Thessalonians 1:6
I don’t like the way our world is right now. I stopped watching the news years ago because it made my anxiety worse. Although I’ve since added it back in, I deleted all social media apps from my phone for the same reason. I’d also read certain posts while my fever rose, my jaw clenched, and my finger hovered over my screen as angry words fought to escape my brain. This used to be one of my biggest struggles. There was a time when I would get into pointless arguments online with people who had completely different views. Whether I thought my “wise” words could change their worldview or just wanted to prove I was right, I wasn’t acting out of love, but out of pride. My behavior was also born out of fear.
Maybe you can relate. With all that is happening in our communities, our country, and around the world, it is normal to feel panic and react accordingly. But thank God, we do not have to remain in a state of alarm. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we can experience joy even in the midst of great distress and uncertainty.
Political and economic instability, relationship storms, and personal hardships are nothing new. Wars, government corruption, disease, and countless other challenges have plagued humanity since our ancestors first rebelled against God. Jesus himself told us to expect trouble. But he also promised us joy.
As today’s verse confirms, when we receive and live out this joy, people notice, especially in situations that would otherwise lead to despair. Paul wrote the letter to 1 Thessalonians shortly after he and his partners had planted the church in Thessalonica. He had heard that the church there, unlike the one in the city from which he was writing, was thriving despite hardship.
This gave him great joy and perhaps helped ease the regret of how he had left them. According to Acts 17, although Paul clearly wanted to stay longer with the new converts in Thessalonica, he was driven out of the city by a violent mob. These people, incited to rage by jealous Jews, stormed to a man’s house looking for Paul and his companion. When they did not find them, they dragged the homeowner and some other Christ followers before the authorities, accused them of harboring troublemakers, forced them to pay bail, and then released them. Fortunately, probably without harm.
That night, the other believers and probably new converts sent Paul and his companion away. I assume out of fear for their lives.
If you have ever witnessed a riot, you can imagine how frightening it all must have been for those new believers in Thessaloniki. They understood, in a way that many of us in the West never do, what it costs to follow Jesus. As did everyone who came to Christ after that terrible event.
Yet they decided to imitate Paul and his team – the very men they had hurried away under cover of night for their own safety. In the same way that Jesus’ disciples and Paul had imitated him. The Bible says that Jesus endured suffering for the joy that was set before him. A joy that came from himself and his oneness with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit.
The Bible tells us that the Spirit produces joy in us (Galatians 5:22-23). That is, it grows as we connect with Him and yield to Him. When we do this, He not only gives us supernatural joy, but also speaks assurances to our souls, reminding us of God’s power, character, grace, and promises.
It is important to note, however, that Paul and Jesus were not talking about a happy giggle. Nor was anyone in the Thessalonian church laughing at all that they had endured—which, I assume from today’s verse, went beyond what we read in Acts 17. What they experienced went much deeper. Their joy, a word that has the same root as grace in the original Greek, came from their constant, abiding assurance that God was with them, working through them, and using their hardships for their good and for His glory.
That, my friends, is biblical joy, a spiritual state of mind that can comfortably deal with deep grief. And that depth of joy, of confidence, even in the midst of the greatest chaos, speaks.
Interface between life and faith:
When you and I live like the loved, empowered, supported, chosen, and well-cared-for children of God that we are, the world will take notice. Our calm in the chaos will awaken in them a spiritual desire for the life they were created for—not the one they have become slaves to.
Our connection to Christ and our strength and security in Him invite others to experience a life that goes beyond today and our greatest problems. A life of intimate union with our Redeemer and Creator. A life that sometimes hurts deeply but never reaches a place of total despair because, even in the midst of great suffering, it maintains hope rooted in the unchanging, ever-present God of hope.
Further reading:
1 Peter 1:3-9
1 Peter 3:15
Galatians 5:19-26
Photo credit: © Pexels/Andrea Piacquadio
Jennifer Slattery is a writer and speaker and hosts the podcast Faith Over Fear and, along with a team of 6, the podcast Your Daily Bible Verse. She has spoken to women’s groups and Bible studies and taught at writers’ conferences across the country. She is the author of Start a family and numerous other titles and maintains a devotional blog at JenniferSlatteryLivesOutLou
She is passionate about helping people experience the freedom of Christ in all areas of their lives. Visit her online to learn more about her speaking engagements or to book her for your next women’s event. Sign up for her free quarterly newsletter HERE and connect with her on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and GodTube.
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Related Resource: Courageous Prayers: Asking God to Reveal the Roots of Our Fear
Sometimes fear can arise for no apparent reason, or our fear can feel more intense than the situation warrants. When we find ourselves in this situation, we can pray the prayer that David, the second king of ancient Israel, prayed at the end of Psalm 139 and trust that our God will and does lead us to greater freedom. Listen to this episode of Faith instead of fear and focus your mind and heart on the truth you need for your day! If you like this episode, subscribe to it on Apple or Spotify so you don’t miss an episode!
