Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee
I love playoff baseball in October. I love it even more when my Detroit Tigers are in it! A few months ago I was watching a game with my daughters and I learned a valuable lesson on Joy.
The Tigers had been on an improbable run having a less than 1% chance to make the playoffs in August to ALDS appearance. In Game 2 of the ALDS between the Tigers and Guardians were in a pitching duel. Through 8 innings neither team scored a run.
In the top of the ninth, Cleveland brought in their closer, who had been nearly untouchable all season. Somehow, the Tigers managed to scrape together two base runners, setting the stage for Kerry Carpenter. With two outs and a 2-2 count, Kerry Carpenter delivered a three-run home run that would go on to be the game-winning hit that evened the series at one game apiece.
When Carpenter hit that home run, I jumped up and, before I knew it, was screaming in jubilation at the top of my lungs. My oldest daughter was celebrating right along with me, which caused my youngest daughter to run into the room screaming—despite having no idea why! I immediately scooped her up, and we jumped around the room together, celebrating a moment in Tigers history.
This moment taught me a couple of things I’d like us to remember as we reflect on the joy the coming Messiah brings:
- Joy is contagious.
- Our joy is far too easily dictated by external sources.
Joy is Contagious
When that home run happened, my youngest child wasn’t even in the room. She rushed in because she heard the commotion and started celebrating. Why? Because I was celebrating. She had no idea why Daddy was so happy; she just knew Daddy was happy and wanted to join in.
There’s something about being around someone who is joyful. While this isn’t an overtly biblical point, I think we’ve all experienced contagious joy—or the lack thereof—at some point in our lives.
Why is Christmas considered “the most wonderful time of the year”? Whether centered around Christ or not, the season brings a built-in joyful expectation. Kids are excited for traditions, time off school, and presents. Families look forward to being together. Even the grinchiest of people can’t resist Christmas cookies!
As Christians, we have the greatest reason to be joyful:
For our sake, he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
—2 Corinthians 5:21
Because of Christ’s sacrifice, those who trust in Him are counted as righteous by God—not because of anything we’ve done, but as a gift.
That’s a reason to choose joy. Yet, so often, Christians are categorized as people with the least amount of joy. Why? I believe the answer lies in the next point.
Situational Joy
Why was I so joyous during that baseball game? First, it was the realization of hope where there had been none. Second, my focus wasn’t weighed down by the usual distractions that steal joy. My attention was fully on that moment in the game so that I was able to fully embrace it.
I think one reason Christians are often seen as joyless is that we focus too much on the things we don’t like in the world or on personal stresses rather than on the joy of our salvation.
I have relatives who live in remote parts of Michigan, surrounded by farmland. Over the years, I’ve often commented on how much I’d love to live there because of its beauty.
But recently, I realized that Pennsylvania isn’t lacking in beauty. The difference is that when I’m in Michigan, I’m not surrounded by the pressures and tasks of life. Instead of running through to-do lists, frustrations, or worries, I find myself looking around and enjoying God’s creation.
One reason we find it hard to choose joy is that we lack perspective:
I will take my stand at my watchpost and station myself on the tower, and look out to see what he will say to me and what I will answer concerning my complaint.
—Habakkuk 2:1
Habakkuk wanted to understand God’s plan for Israel and know whether He had abandoned them. So, he removed himself from his surroundings, stationed himself on a tower, and waited to hear from God.
Similarly, it’s hard for us to choose joy when our lives are overrun by tasks, pressures, and expectations. We don’t leave enough room in our hearts to meditate on God’s goodness and the reason for joy.
Michigan isn’t more beautiful than Pennsylvania (though I do prefer cornfields to hills). But when I’m in Michigan, I have eyes to see its beauty.
This Advent season, perhaps we need to scale back, do less, or unplug more. By clearing space in our lives, we can better reflect on the joy found in Christ and what this season truly represents.
This Sunday, we’ll sing a hymn that Henry van Dyke wrote to Beethoven’s Ode to Joy. It’s said van Dyke penned the lyrics while looking out at the Berkshire Mountains in Massachusetts in 1907.
In the third verse, we find these words:
“Wellspring of the joy of living,
Ocean depth of happy rest.”
A wellspring is a bountiful source of something. Christians have no reason to lack joy. We have a never-ending supply of joy. Our issue isn’t the supply chain; our issue is that we move locations before the package is delivered. We don’t rest in Christ. In fact, it may be that we don’t rest at all.
Peter Scazzero has made it a point to practice something he calls the Daily Office. It’s an intentional choice, multiple times a day, to sit in silence and stillness to connect with God.
This week, take a page from Peter Scazzero and Henry van Dyke and schedule a few moments each day to sit in silence and stillness before God and draw from that wellspring of endless joy by reflecting on who He is, what He has made, and what He has done for us!