Who Stole My Joy?

We live in a world that is stealing our joy. Have you noticed this phenomonon. I write today more for myself than anyone else. I have believed for years that as followers of Christ we would be a people very familiar with joy. It is one of the characteristics of a Christ follower. But can I tell you I don't see an abundance of joy in the body of Christ. I don't see an abundance of joy in my life. I really want more of it.

In fancy clinical terms there is a  diagnosis for people who do not experience joy. It is called "anhedonia" the inability to experience joy. Something has gone terribly wrong in our world. People are joyless and the use of anti-depressants is at an all time high. The other side of this is the pursuit of joy in unhealthy ways, drugs, sex, pornography, stuff, status all things that after a short rush, only deplete any joy that you might have had. It is easy for me to identify joy busters.

Religion when manipulated by man can become a huge joy buster. Satan has really used this one. People go to God hoping to find some joy and man has often created God in their image and created a theology (words about God) that ultimately steal the joy the people came to God hoping to find. This is tragic and probably needs a post all its own.

The truth is God is the source of our joy. I believe he is the source and the only place we can experience true joy. The kind of joy our heart longs for, that has nothing to do with a relationship, the job status, my bank account, the economy or whether the dog peed in the house or not. I think we look for joy in external things and the joy we desire is found first internally.

Joy is found on the inside. Kind of an inside out thing. It is found in our internal world, in the deep places of our heart and often a place we neglect to go or attend. Call it soul care, spiritual transformation whatever you want but there is a place deep within each of us that longs for attention and is the wellspring of life. 

I like the idea of a "divine spark". God's word refers to Jesus as light. C. S. Lewis spoke of the little Christ in all of us. We teach about the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. These connect and fuel our divine spark. The Christ in us is a light a spark if you will that is intended to give us life. It is present but if not attended to or cultivated the spark wanes, the light fades. Does not go away but can be so muted that we experience anhedonia. Joy becomes something that is hard to experience.

So today I pose the question. "What are some things in your life that are stealing you joy?" Beware there are many. The world we live in is all about pouring cold water on you divine spark. Identify the joy busters in you life and get rid of them, move away from them, don't empower them to steal you joy.

Then start to attend your divine spark. Like a gardener caring for her garden take care of your heart. Pull some weeds, use some fertilizer, sit in the garden of your heart and meet God again.If you want to be warm stand by the fire, if you want to be wet get in the water, if you want to know joy go to the source.  Slowly I believe our divine spark can begin to glow brighter and brighter. It can begin to light our path. It is the cure for anhedonia. You can rediscover joy and joy is contagious. Once we start to experience it, others are blessed by it. So find your joy and share it with the world around you.

Peace, todd

A Divine Appointment

I am currently re-reading the Shack. Have been fascinated at the buzz this book has created. Young has stirred-up something significant even if he has made many uncomfortable, even mad. I am re-reading because of a men's group that I am, who wanted to read and discuss. This read I am moving through the book with a little different view. I came across something last week that jumped off the page.

Papa has invited Mack back to the shack. While pondering, if God would send a message and even if he had why would he want Mac to return to the shack. Mack ask this question. "And why the shack- the icon of his deepest pain?" I would argue that if you get nothing from this book this is a question worthy of thought.

Young tackles many big ideas in this book. But none more important than this idea of God meeting us at the deepest place of our pain. If I ask you today, " what is the deepest wound of your heart?" What comes to mind? Is there something that comes quickly but you push it back and search for something a little more comfortable. Something that maybe does not hurt quite as bad. Maybe you know exactly what the deepest pain is and that thought brings strong emotion and the idea that the pain and heart ache you feel will never go away.

Why would God want to meet us at that place? Why would a loving God want us to revisit that pain and heartache? Maybe you have even thought. "How could a good God have ever allowed that to happen to me?" Where was he when this happened and why did he not step in and do something, anything? All of these are fair and good questions.

On the other side maybe you have chosen to believe, bad things happen to good people every day and that is just how it is. I just need to have faith and get over it. Be strong, don't question and just move on. No need to dwell on the past it does no good. I will somehow just pretend this never really happened and move on. I guess at some level I understand this attitude as well. It is basic survival. A kind of pain avoidance.

But what if God wanted each of us to revisit our own personal "shack". The icon of our deepest pain. Not live there, not go there and stay forever, but go there so we could find healing and wholeness. 

I believe it is at the place of our deepest wound, that we can find God. It is at this place we can discover once and for all that God is real. We can discover at this place of helplessness and vulnerability that God is in fact good. I think if you strip everything away that really is the question we and the world are asking. "Is God good?" "Can God be trusted?"

The place of our deepest wound would suggest that he is not good, that he can not be trusted. That he will not show up when you need him the most and will only disappoint. I get why people would believe this. But I know if you are brave enough to visit you own personal shack and when God shows up and he will, something changes in your life. The reality of the one true living God starts to heal. You discover that he can be trusted, that he is faithful. You are given new eyes and a new heart. 

So do you have a divine appointment? If so, be brave, walk into the pain believing God will meet you there. It will be risky, hard and painful. How is that for encouragement? Is is worth the risk. And much better than the alternative. 

If you have visited you own personal shack, tell others about it. People need hope, they need to know the reality of a living and loving God. At some level this book Young has written has given people hope. You story will do the same. Share it!

Peace, todd