As I write this, it seems the world is falling out of control. Covid-19 cases and deaths grow worldwide every day. So, can an individual have joy in a world with new viruses with no cure (so far)?
Life can be difficult; we have despair and doubt. We live with anxiety and depression. We trust less and hate more. Gratitude is seen less in the world while self-gratification more. Religion creates a painful reminder that we are not perfect and pushes a legalistic agenda on us, making the problems worse. With the world, the way it is, is it possible to have joy? Can a person have joy and despair at the same time?
We use social media to show others our opinion about all kinds of subjects, including joy and how to get it. We use catchy phrases to make our point.
I have to tell you I have problems with people using quotes that have to do with positive people and their need to stay away from negative people. Like this quote, “Some people are like clouds. When they disappear, it’s a beautiful day.”
This is heartbreaking, and it is hurtful to individuals who battle depression anxiety and bipolar disorder. Being diagnosed with one of these symptoms can cause a negative attitude throughout one’s life. Christians who are negative can feel despair; they also can have doubts. Please don’t tell me they’re not Christian, or they don’t have enough faith.
My mother has dealt with depression and anxiety all of her life. God is the one who gives her the strength to get through it. There are days she doesn’t believe in God’s abilities to bring her out of it, but he is still working in her none the less. She has the freedom to choose.
We find our eternal joy our overwhelming joy in our knowing and doing. Many Christians believe that Jesus’ act of atonement was vicarious (substitutionary). What about the rest of his life? There are many Christian theologians past and present, who believe that Jesus’ whole life was vicarious. You may ask what this has to do with joy, but it has everything to do with it.
In the incarnation of the second person of the Trinity, the Son became man and took on our humanity. We participate with Jesus in his despair and joy because we share in his humanity.
Jesus is the God/man, yet he emptied himself to be a servant (Philippians 2:7) and was dependent on the Holy Spirit. What we know from the Bible is that Jesus felt despair (Luke 22:44) yet was obedient to the will of God the Father to the end, even to a terrible death on a tree.
Jesus did not live a perfect life only to show us an example but did it vicariously for you and me. This is the Grace of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit through the incarnation of the Son, who emptied himself and lived a perfect human life by the spirit, knowing we were incapable of doing it. Our reconciliation is complete in him. He shares his life with us, and we participate in it
We participate by believing (knowing) and believing (doing). We participate in his loving of the Father and loving of his (our) neighbor (Matthew 25:45) (1 John 4:21). We love with the help of the Spirit. This isn’t a duty or an action to get reconciliation, but recognition of who we become by the Grace of God in Jesus Christ.
Joy and despair seem to be dualistic, but one is champion over the other. Joy is a gift (John 15:11), it is eternal, it is overwhelming, and it lifts us out of our despair. Joy overwhelms our despair in our most desperate times, and these are desperate times. I do think that despair can co-exist with joy.
Christ felt despair in the garden of Gethsemane and on the cross when he felt abandoned, yet he followed the will of the Father. Even though he felt great agony, the resurrection was coming. Doing the right thing can be hard, but it brings joy to the doer and the receiver. We participate in Christ’s despair and joy, remembering that the joy overcomes.
We can have joy in the present because we have a future. Please don’t let your guilt, caused by the idea that since you are Christian you can’t feel despair or doubt or even fear, which ends up adding to your anxiety. It is not as important to be a God as is it is to be with God. Remember that Jesus took away all of our guilt and shame by hanging on the cross. Our participation and our union with Jesus bring us joy in the present. We participate in his suffering and rejoice in his rejoicing. During this tough time in our lives, Jesus is sharing in our suffering, and we are sharing in his.
It is Holy Week; it is a time of despair (death) and rejoicing (Resurrection). It is a time, as every day is, to reflect on how life overcame, and overwhelmed death. Remembering that Jesus is the resurrection and life.
Joy is a gift that we freely receive, and in our time of need (this time), Jesus is where we will find it. Yes, the Corona Virus is real and it brings anxiety, but Jesus is with us. He has overcome the world, and we have great participative joy in the Good News that he has risen.
The joy that comes by hearing and knowing that he has risen is much greater than the despair and doubt caused by Covid-19. The joy that we participate in, is Jesus’ joy that he shares with the Father through the Spirit. Yes, you will feel despair throughout this ordeal but take heart you live in the joy of Christ
OJ! Overwhelming Joy 