The Bible speaks often of the joy Christians can experience as a result of our ability to look beyond the present circumstances of our lives and to the promise of eternal life with Christ. The average church may speak even more often than scripture about this joy. We should absolutely seek that joy, and none of us could possibly overstate the glory that will be revealed when Christ returns. However, this emphasis on being joyful has created a church atmosphere where less comfortable feelings are imagined away even when it is the proper response.
The world takes basically the exact opposite view of emotions. While God has stated that being joyful depends upon having eyes set on eternity because the present conditions are terrible, the world says that our current condition should bring us joy. If we’re not content it’s because something needs to be changed, but the end result of our efforts will be perfectly capable of bringing us joy because that is the default condition. To do this, we’re encouraged to foster discontentment and even resentment to energize us to tear down the things in the way of our happiness.
Despite the worldly wisdom, self-control is a fruit of the Spirit. When we are uncomfortable with our current conditions, the ability to process the discomfort and even grow from it is a God thing. Lashing out and building resentment because of our situation is not the way a believer has been called to live.
However, does that mean it’s always wrong for a believer to be sorrowful? This prophetic message really hit my yesterday.
In that day the Lord God of hosts
called for weeping and mourning,
for baldness and wearing sackcloth;
and behold, joy and gladness,
killing oxen and slaughtering sheep,
eating flesh and drinking wine.
“Let us eat and drink,
for tomorrow we die.”
The Lord of hosts has revealed himself in my ears:
“Surely this iniquity will not be atoned for you until you die,”
says the Lord God of hosts.
Isaiah 22:12-14
God is so offended by this revelry, when repentance and remorse are called for, that he declares it a sin for which the revelers will die without atonement! While we should be absolutely overjoyed at the eternal life we have, we shouldn’t push aside sorrow over sin and its effects.
It reminds me of another verse where similar behavior led to judgement.
They have healed the wound of my people lightly,
saying, ‘Peace, peace,’
when there is no peace.
Jeremiah 6:14
Believers, and especially elders in the church, must not comfort God’s people by speaking lightly of sin or judgement. We should not declare “peace” to one another to make the present more presentable. We live in a sin stained world, with all the pain that brings. Encouraging one another to make merry in this life as if all is well is not loving.
We can still absolutely have joy in faith. However, a faith that depends upon viewing the sins of man as trivial or not burdensome ignores the very terrible judgement Christ took upon himself in order to redeem his people. Sin should grieve us, just as the assurance of eternal life brings us joy!
