The Spiritual Discipline of Joy

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. - Psalm 100:1

At first glance, I have to ask myself what does that mean?

I know what discipline is, of course. When dieting, it takes discipline to stay away from chocolate. When trying to bulk up, it takes discipline to get off the backside and lift those weights, do those chin-ups, run those miles. At a job, it takes discipline to go to sleep on time and get up on time to be on time. And when there are children at home . . . well, you know where I’m going with that one.

We can summarize by saying it’s important to take a disciplined approach to life—but maybe not all of the time. There must be times of spontaneity, right? Those times when we chuck the schedule, the routine, and do something unexpected.

Could that be the seed which sprouts the spiritual discipline of joy? Maybe.

Think of children.

Have you ever watched your child play in a mud puddle? A moment ago, you were holding her hand, guiding her as you strolled down the street after a summer rain. And then, joy took her by the hand and she jumped into the puddle with it, splashing herself up to her neck, soaking her clothes, and probably spraying you. Sprayed by joy. Who wouldn’t love that, I ask?

I know what you’re thinking. Joy is easy when you’re a child in a mud puddle on a muggy summer day.

But isn’t joy a bit harder to find as an adult, with grown-up problems and worries—especially in this world we live in today?

That’s where discipline comes in, my friends. We must train ourselves to seek out and find joy in the midst of harshness and anxiety, grab it by the hand and jump into it.

But, it’s hard, you say. The news reports are scary. My grown children are not making good choices. My doctor wants to talk to me about a scan report. My parents are elderly and must be moved to a facility. My car broke down and I need to buy another one, but I can’t afford to.

All very scary stuff. We pray over these scary things, hand them to God, knowing He promises to provide all of our needs.

Then what? Do we just go on our merry way and not ever think about that scary stuff again? Hardly. The enemy is adept at causing our worries to resurface over and over again in our minds. The "What Ifs", particularly those in the middle of the night, are enough to sink our joy.

Here's what we must do. Right smack dab in the middle of our chaos and fear, we must choose to reach into our pockets for the delight our God has dropped there when we weren't looking. Go ahead, reach for it!

We must seek joy from Him in the midst. How about this: ask Him to take you to the mud puddle and jump into it with you.

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Psalm 100:1 NIV

The Spiritual Discipline of Joy—it doesn’t happen by accident. It is a choice, and we must practice and train for it each and every day. Will you join me?

I’ll see you in the puddle!

Questions for Reflection:

1. Do you find it hard to practice self-discipline in your life? If so, why?

2. Have you ever prayed for God to give you joy in your life? If so, what happened?