What brings you JOY [Pt.2]

by erika haveman

Last week I may have ruffled a few feathers when I boldly stated at the end of my post we often ask, “Jesus, what do you have for me?” and “Jesus, what can you give me?”

If I’m being honest, I know I’ve done this a lot. These questions do have a place – Jesus says seek me and you will find me. But are we seeking Jesus or are we seeking benefits for our lives? The aforementioned questions come out of a place that says I am struggling to trust Jesus, which is human and very real. I think it’s way easy to get caught up in these questions and miss the joys He has set before us to help us run the race with strength. In Hebrews 12 it talks about how we need to set aside the weights that hold us back, to run the race with endurance. WHY? Because JESUS endured the cross so we could have JOY. Jesus endured the cross so that WE could be sacrifices meant to live and breathe and have our being in Him and not sacrifices meant for death. The questions we ask may not be bad, but they may be stopping us from choosing the joy set before us.

Even Jesus did not want to endure the cross – He begged for it to be taken from Him (Luke 22:42). But He did it BECAUSE He could see the JOY. The JOY of restoring broken relationship between God and man. The JOY of restoring broken relationship between humans. The JOY of restoring broken relationship between people and creation.

When I am wondering, “JESUS WHERE ARE YOU?” do I consider the JOY to which He is bringing me? Do I consider the JOY that He gave me in the past?

Recently I was sitting beside a very wise friend of mine as we listened to a lecture about YWAM’s Christian Magna Carta. At one point the speaker made a comment off the cuff about how we as people need to be more thankful. I can’t tell you how it was related to what he was talking about, but immediately my friend turned to me and said, “Are you serious? People have a hard time being thankful?” This friend is not only wiser, but has significantly more life experience than me and doesn’t always notice that generations are different. I agreed with the speaker and said, “Yeah…I know it’s shocking. But I learned from you [and your husband] the importance of gratefulness. Before your taught me about it I struggled with it, too.” She was surprised at my admission, and maybe even told me I was crazy. I laughed and then we agreed that over the next few months we’d keep gratefulness journals, and when we got back together we’d share them (We’re both travelling a lot in this season for Bible teaching and won’t see each other again until early 2019).

It’s ironic. When I had that conversation with my friend I could see that I was spiralling into a season that I could tell was going to be a challenge. I kept wondering when God would answer me and it was all “How long Oh Lord? Will you hide your face from me forever?” Very Psalm 13 like. But then I bought a gratefulness journal and started numbering the things I was thankful for. A few weeks in and I can look back and realize that life hasn’t been perfect, but more than EVER God has been speaking about looking to HIM for HIS joy, HIS fulfillment, HIS present-ness. I say present-ness over presence because God is challenging me especially to be present – engage with my daily life as opposed to get caught up in my future.

But the solution isn’t asking more questions of myself. The solution is embrace the JOY set RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME – to stay present with the task, whether that is farming or bagging groceries or teaching the Bible. Whatever it is God has you in is what you should be doing. If you are praising Him, finding JOY in Him, being grateful, offering your life as a LIVING sacrifice, enduring whatever part of the race He has you in God WILL reveal to you what is next when you need to hear it. If you are living in relationship with Him you will hear Him speak.

So rather than asking, “God what can you give me? When will you answer me?” ask, “God how can I be grateful today? Jesus what can I give you today as I live as a sacrifice to you?” Live your life accordingly – find those joys that bring you closer to Jesus, seek them out and take life one step at a time – and always be thankful.