The Command for Radical Joy in God

Two weeks ago was our first time back in church since March 2020 due to COVID-19, multiple lock-downs and restrictions. It felt good to be finally back to corporate worship.

Meeting many of our new church family and cell group folks in person for the first time after a year of ‘virtual reality’ was incredible.

After worship, we headed off to the park with our cell group for a picnic; playing games, having great conversations, sharing food and enjoying all-round fellowship. We had a lovely time.

Big on community

During lock-down, staying connected (albeit virtually) with our cell group and church community was pivotal.

It’s been a new season of learning, un-learning, re-learning and growing in a new community of God-centred followers of Jesus.

The spontaneity of fellowship and outpouring of agape love in a deeply natural way has been a thing of joy all round.

I’m big on community. We live in a world where loneliness is an anomaly and so much money is spent on community engagement programmes.

Connecting with and staying part of a community is good for our spiritual and mental wellbeing. We generally thrive when surrounded by the right people.

For us (on a personal note), we found a new God-focused, Christ-exalting, people-loving and joy-saturated community of believers, and we are grateful for that.

The irony of joyless Christianity

I’ve met people who think the Christian life is a kill-joy. On the contrary, joy is commanded all over scriptures. I said commanded, not recommended.

Philippians 4:4, Romans 12:12, Psalm 118:24, 71:23, 16:9, 1 Thessalonians 5:16 and many more verses in the Bible affirm God’s demand for our joy.

Jesus endured the cross for our redemption because of the joy that was set before Him, knowing that victory over death was on the other side of His pain — Hebrews 12:2.

Don’t allow circumstances and people take the joy of knowing and loving Jesus away from you.

Don't become engrossed with 'religious service' at the expense of enjoying the One you serve // The Command for Radical Joy in God Click To Tweet

Remember that “God is most glorified in us, when we are most satisfied in Him” — John Piper.

‘Joyless Christianity’ is an irony at best and false doctrine at worst; God calls us to be happy in Him and enjoy His good pleasures in a fallen world. And the chief pleasure of God is Himself.

So be happy in Christ; His fruit is JOY — Galatians 5:22-23

You are no holier for your perpetual sombre disposition or less worthy of Christ’s love for your cheer.

A radical call to enjoy God forever

The first question in the Westminster Shorter Catechism never ceases to inspire me:

Question: “What is the chief end of man?”

Answer: Man’s chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.

Radical joy is not commanded in isolation. When God demands our joy, it’s so that we find our soul-satisfying pleasure in Him, not in what He gives or does.

Nothing else satisfies the soul more than the ultimate treasuring of Christ above all else.

Unless we are moved by who moves all things, our hearts will never find lasting joy // The Command for Radical Joy in God Click To Tweet

We were created for glory (Isaiah 43:7). We were created to enjoy God now and forever (Psalm 37:4, 1:1-2). When you come to Jesus, radical joy is commanded, regardless of the storms of life (John 15:11).

Each day is an opportunity to press on to deeper, radical enjoyment of all that God is for us until nothing else matters more — Philippians 3:12.

Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash.