Joy is a Decision

“Joy is a decision, a really brave one, about how you are going to respond to life.”  Wess Stafford

There’s an old joke about psychiatry. “How many psychiatrists does it take to change a lightbulb?” The answer: “Only one,  but the lightbulb has to want to be changed. It may be a joke but the reality that happiness is a choice is not. All the psychiatrists, therapists and pastors in the world can’t change a person who doesn’t desire to be changed. 

  For the most part, we are as happy as we choose to be. As B.A. Baracus of A-Team fame would say, “I pity the fool.” I truly pity the spouse or parent or pastor or…who foolishly attempts to make an unhappy person happy.

  We’re halfway through our series, Philippians: Joy No Matter What. It’s easy in a study of a book of the Bible to lose the big picture. This week, please take the time to re-read those four short chapters. The Apostle Paul, under the inspiration of the Spirit, gives us the key to having joy.

  The Greek that our New Testament is written in is one of the most expressive and definitive of all time. Eutuches was one of their words for happiness. It meant “fleeting earthly happiness.” It was the kind of happiness which was mostly on the outside. It was dependent on the right circumstances, being around the right people or having the right things. The obvious problem is that no one can control their circumstances or being around the right people or even having the right things.

  Makarios was another ancient Greek word for happiness. This word was used when referring to inner happiness which is independent of circumstances, people, or things. It’s a deep-down inner happiness that doesn’t depend on externals. Simply put, it’s happiness from the inside out.

  Interestingly, it’s the same word that Greek religion used for the happiness of their gods. It was a happiness free from care, work, even death. The word came to mean heavenly “godlike life on earth.” It’s the kind of happiness that we truly long for.

  Mature individuals know that situational, relational, and material happiness is very fleeting. You may be able to go to Disney World for vacation but no one can live there, very soon you must return to reality.

  Interestingly, the Bible (much of which was written in Greek), never uses the word eutuches. Every biblical reference to happiness is makarios. What’s even better is that the Bible repeatedly talks in terms of offering and even expecting us to pursue and achieve this heavenly happiness while here on earth…yet there are two requirements.  

  First, you will never have heavenly happiness (or what Scripture calls joy) without a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Joy is the second fruit of the Spirit. Salvation is the key to having this kind of happiness. Heavenly happiness begins with having our sins forgiven as a result of personal faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior from our sin.

  Second, to live in this happiness of heaven on earth requires doing it heaven’s way. That way is spelled out quite clearly in the Bible which is sort of a handbook to heaven.  

  In his book, Making Happiness Happen, pastor and author, Leith C. Anderson shares this account:  

  “A Southern Baptist preacher tells about two hospital patients early in his ministry. The first was a middle-age woman about to be released after successful treatment. As soon as the pastor entered her room, she started to complain. She criticized him for not coming to visit much sooner. She complained about the hospital food, the nursing staff, and the lack of visits by members of her family. It was an awful experience and she was glad to be going home.

  The preacher’s next stop was another middle-aged woman on the same floor of the hospital. Even the best of experienced pastors have trouble getting psyched up for two such visits in a row—but he went to see her anyway. This lady’s circumstances were quite different. She was suffering from terminal cancer and would never be going home from the hospital, yet her spirits were high. He could sense her warmth and enthusiasm as soon as he stepped into the room. She thanked him for coming but assured him that she always had plenty of company and he might better use his time visiting those with greater needs. Next, she raved about the nursing staff and their fabulous care. They met her every need without being asked. Even the food was outstanding and there was plenty of it. Finally, she gave a big grin while explaining that she only had two teeth left but, “Thank the Lord, they meet in the middle!”

  The greatest difference between these two patients was not their circumstances but their perspectives. Ironically, the woman with more had chosen a negative perspective and the woman with less had chosen a positive perspective. Each had the option of going either way and each chose the perspective for seeing her circumstances.”

  Happiness is a choice, yet we need the Spirit working in us from the inside out to have it. One of my favorite passages is 2 Corinthians 4:16-18. Those verses have been an anchor for my soul nearly fifty years: “So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.”

  Satan loves it when the people of God lose heart and give in to anger, fear, depression, and countless other joy killing emotions. Yet, for the believer, for the one who has committed their life to Christ, this world is as bad as it gets. Everything, no matter how terrible, even if like that woman in the hospital we have terminal cancer, is temporary. It’s also momentary whereas what awaits us is eternal. We have something that those who do not know our Savior do not have. We know that we’re all going to get Home before dark! And that my friend is something to give us constant joy even in the midst of a crumbling world. We’re not Home yet!   

Can we help you spiritually? Can we help you know Jesus better? Please check out more resources on our church's web page, Gracechurchwi.org. Or, call us at 262.763.3021. If you'd like to know more about how Jesus can change your life, I'd love to mail you a copy of how Jesus changed my life in "My Story." E-mail me at Carson@gracechurchwi.org to request a free copy. Please include your mailing address. 

Repacking YOUR Bags

“Change, even if unwelcome, forces us to reevaluate what our best options are. Those times of transitions are great opportunities to look for recurring patterns in your life and make adjustments to build on the good and reduce the bad.”  Dan Miller

Have you cleaned and organized the kitchen drawers? How about the attic?

There’s a lot of purging and long overdue projects taking place during this mandated “Safe at Home” time. Our world may never be the same. Hopefully, spiritually and significantly none of us will be the same.

  It was an ultimate adventure to a realm very far away and deep within. Richard Leider led a walking safari in Tanzania. Looking like a walking advertisement for some American outdoor retailer, he was delighted when his new friend, Thaddeus Ole Koyie, a Maasai village elder, expressed a fascination with seeing the contents of his impressive backpack. Proudly, Richard began to lay out all of his high tech essentials. After several minutes of just gazing at everything, Koyie asked with great intensity, “Does all this make you happy?”

  “Does all this make you happy?” During this period it’s a question that we all should ask. God has given us a gift of time for reflection and change. With that simple question Koyie captured the essence of the questions that weigh so heavily on many of us. What am I carrying? What will make me happy in the next phase of the journey? What is the good life to me?

  Both the implications and the importance of Koyie’s question were immediately apparent. In a split second, that question caused Richard to consider all he was carrying and why – not just on that trek, but through his entire life.

  We’re at an important crossroads in our journey through life. We’ve been given a gift to evaluate on how to proceed, what to take with us and what to purge. The Bible talks about that. In John 15:2, Jesus said: “ Every branch that does bear fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.” More and more, many of us wonder what to bring along and what to leave behind, what to acquire and what to give away, what to do and with whom to do it. It’s time for us to repack and take a long, hard look at what we’re carrying and where we are headed.

  As those who have committed our lives to Christ, we have a different destination. This world is not our Home. It’s not where we are headed. We’re merely passing through. Our destination, because of the cross and God’s grace, is an eternity in heaven.

  Being a Christ-follower means that not only is our destination drastically different, but our journey must also be different too. Yet, we easily put “stuff” in our lives because everyone else does. This is a time to reevaluate our lives in light of eternity and what has true significance. Let me suggest some areas to re-evaluate. None of these are evil or wrong, in and of themselves. As Christ-followers though, our approach to them must be very different.

  Materialism. If you haven’t received it already, stimulus checks are on the way. As the country begins to figure out how we “open back up,” powerful forces will try to convince us all to get back to “normal.” Billions will be spent on advertising, messaging, and media content to make you feel comfortable again. Every brand in America will come to your rescue to help take away that darkness and get life back to the way it was before the pandemic. And there’s nothing wrong with nice things. God wants us to enjoy the gifts of this world, the things of this life. It’s just that they don’t ultimately satisfy. We all know folk who have beautiful, immaculately furnished homes and drive luxurious vehicles, yet have empty souls and lives, and are miserable. Material things are tools, not end products of joy and contentment.

  Accomplishments. God designed us to be “human beings,” not “human doings.” Too many only feel success if they’re moving up the corporate ladder or have their “To Do” list checked off.

  We need daily times with our Heavenly Father. We need intimate times with our spouses, families and friends (and that’s not in a car on the way to the next event). God didn’t design life to be a Facebook post. One of the most violated verses in the Bible is: “Be still and know that I am God.”

  Sports. Idolatry is the replacement of God with something else, the yielding of our primary devotion and chief affections to anything or anyone besides the Lord. God’s Word consistently speaks of sports in a very positive way. They play an important role in our lives. They bring people together, encourage health and fitness, discipline and provide an array of life lessons. They can be a wholesome source of entertainment. Sports, too, are a gift from God. It’s noteworthy that there seem to be more Christians in professional sports than other avenues of fame in our culture.

  Yet, our culture has turned stadiums into temples. As Christ-followers, if we’re not careful, the gift replaces the Giver. Sports are great but make a terrible god. So, while you’re re-evaluating your life, please ask: Do sports hold a higher priority in my life than Jesus? Is God on the sidelines of my heart? Has the Lord’s Day (Sunday) morphed into just a sports day?

  Leisure. Prior to the Fall, Adam and Eve were given what’s known as the “Creative Mandate” (Genesis 1:28). God gave us strength, talent, and intelligence to be utilized for His glory. God never designed us to be emotively driven. Sadly, what has lost even in the Church, is the ability to do critical thinking. Listen to how often you hear or yourself say, “I feel” instead of “I think.” I wonder what the angels in heaven must think when they observe Christ-followers watching “Tiger King” or the “Kardashians” to name a few of the worst. After all this most will look at a cruise with more of a jaundiced eye. We are ignorant of Scripture and a biblical worldview if we live for the weekend and see work as a “necessary evil.” And then, we rationalize that we don’t have time to read God’s Word, memorize it, serve Him, or reach out to our neighbors. 

  The real question isn’t: “Does all this make you happy?” but “Does this please your Heavenly Father?” When we live in a way that pleases our Heavenly Father, He blesses us with joy, peace, and contentment…to name a few of His countless blessings. God has given us a gift of time for some needed reevaluation. May we use it wisely. It’s an opportunity for us to reevaluate and redirect our lives.

Can we help you spiritually? Can we help you know Jesus better? Please check out more resources on our church's web page, Gracechurchwi.org. Or, call us at 262.763.3021. If you'd like to know more about how Jesus can change your life, I'd love to mail you a copy of how Jesus changed my life in "My Story." E-mail me at Carson@gracechurchwi.org to request a free copy. Please include your mailing address. 

Cleaning up spider webs or killing the spider

“Life is full of misery, loneliness, and suffering - and it's all over much too soon.” Woody Allen

  Recently, we had mouse droppings on a counter top in our basement. The easiest solution to that predicament is to ignore them and work around them. The second easiest solution is to clean them up every time we find them. But most people don’t find either of those options acceptable. So there are now traps loaded with appetizing treats, awaiting Mr. Mouse when he next stops in for dinner. Unfortunately, Mr. Mouse is not going to be very happy, though his unhappiness will be very short lived.

  What would you think though if you learned that we were putting out food and water for this trespasser? Or, that we learned that his nest wasn’t all that comfortable so we went to Menards and bought some higher quality nesting materials for Mr. Mouse and family?

  While there are a few exceptions, most people don’t believe that the Mouse family has any right to be happy, particularly if they are trespassers. But what about everyone else. Isn’t happiness something that we should seek to help everyone attain? After all, we’re Americans. It’s written right in our Declaration of Independence: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Based on that shouldn’t we do everything we can to help others be happy?  

  No, I don’t believe that we should. One of the things that we miss, even in the Church, is that all social problems have a spiritual root. Yet, ours is a culture that treats “symptoms” (i.e. mouse droppings) and usually fails to address the disease, the core issue. The core issue is a spiritual issue, a relationship with God. And when we only treat symptoms, we can ultimately distract or mask the core issue.

  Today we have 12-step and self help groups for nearly every cultural malady. Those are symptoms. We fail to start with the question: Why are people addicted to drugs, alcohol, sex, gambling, overeating or even shopping? They’re seeking to fill a God-shaped void in their life. We can counsel it or anesthetize it, yet ultimately, it’s a spiritual issue. We need to be careful we don’t become obstacles to someone seeking to resolve their greatest need by encouraging them to settle for an inadequate substitute.

  Recently, I saw well-intentioned Christians encouraging someone who was bemoaning how lonely he was to try out web sites, like Christianmingle.com to find someone he could date and even potentially marry. His real issue though wasn’t a need for human companionship. That was the symptom of the real need, which was spiritual. Here was a man who was bitter that he was lonely, yet he was being encouraged to find someone so he no longer felt bitter and angry that he was lonely. Yet, if he never addressed that he was bitter at God for his current situation and found peace with God, I can nearly guarantee any human relationship was merely going to be a band-aid to cover over his greater, real need. And his real need would most likely sabotage any relationship he might find.

  Pain is not necessarily a bad thing. Misery, depression, guilt, etc. are not necessarily bad things. Too often, even well meaning Christians seek to enable those suffering to mask those feelings by talking them out, counseling them out, or even medicating them out. Yet, the core issue is a spiritual one. Only Jesus, the Great Physician of our souls has the true cure.

  God in His love often uses pain, discomfort, even misery to drive us to Himself. Read Psalm 107 where you’ll see this truth repeated over and over again. Look at the lives of believers recorded in the Bible and you’ll see how God used crises to drive them to Himself. If we didn’t face crises, most of us would be comfortable in our lostness. We might have some sense of happiness in this world, yet would be miserable for all eternity.

  I know in my own life that God used my Dad being an abuser and a prescription drug addict where I felt so unloved, to drive me to the One who loved me unconditionally. If I’d not been so miserable, I might not have run to the Cross and realized God loved me so much that He gave His only Son to die for my sins so that I could be forgiven, so that I could have a new Father who is always there, knows all about me – even my worst times and faithfully loves me.

  Today we’re beginning a new series: RU BORN 2X. It centers on our greatest need, a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. It addresses our spiritual disease of sin, not just symptoms. It’s only as we embrace God’s cure of salvation that our lives have purpose, fulfillment and meaning both now and forever.

  Most Americans would claim to be “Christians” and most of those who attend our church would make the same claim, yet Scripture warns us to not be cavalier about the validity of our salvation. 2 Corinthians 13:5 urges us, “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!”

  Over the course of the next few weeks, we’re going to very seriously heed that warning and use the tests of God’s Word as we examine our own souls to make certain that we truly have salvation, have been forgiven and are part of God’s Forever Family. Some weeks may give you a sense of discomfort. But wouldn’t it be better to be uncomfortable now, or even embarrassed than to have deceived yourself or been deceived by Satan, only to discover at the end of life, you really didn’t know Jesus and are separated from Him for all eternity? There’s an old spiritual, Everybody talkin’ ‘bout Heaven ain’t goin’ there. What a tragedy it would be to talk about heaven, to know about heaven but miss it!