Faith Knows a Life of JOY!

Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I say, rejoice!
Philippians 4:4 NET

A life of joy may feel unattainable. To rejoice ALWAYS seems like an unreasonable command in a life ruled by darkness. fear. the shame of sin. death. But Paul gives us a command straight from the Spirit of God: Rejoice in the Lord always.

My life’s current season has me wrestling with this idea of joy.
How do I rejoice in the Lord when darkness presses. dreams and hopes
become dismantled. His promises ring like empty words. waiting fosters doubt.
I’ve sought to understand more fully the faith behind a life of joy in the Lord while feeling a cloud of sorrow and heartbreak over everything.

The wrestling led me to pick up a guided journal on the topic of joy. For close to three months and almost daily, I wrote the selected Scriptures in the journal and processed them through the filter of joy. Listening to my heart and the heart of the Spirit for how they might reveal a way to follow the command: Rejoice in the Lord always.

About a month into the journey, I received a Spirit-inspired acronym for JOY that began to transform my life.

Jesus
Over
You

The acronym came as I wrote and considered Paul’s message to the Corinthians: So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. … Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.

Seeking to live as Christ — laser-focused on the Father to bring all
attention to Him — is a life lived with JOY. Jesus even endured the agony of
the cross for the joy set before Him: Glorification of the Father through the Son’s
obedience bringing an end to the power of sin and death.

Living with Jesus Over You — imitating His way of life in glorifying the
Father — is a life of JOY.

Another  Scripture from the joy journal:

But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. … If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.
1Corinthians 12:18, 26-27

Finding your place in His Body — the Church — where Jesus is the Head, is a life of JOY.
Jesus Over You
all and as a part,
individual and communal,
singularly and wholly.

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
Ephesians 5:1-2 ESV

To remember we are God’s beloved children inspires us to imitate God as a loving child imitates their dad. Just the way Jesus lived when He walked the earth. Doing only what He saw the Father doing (John 5:19), reflecting the exact imprint of His Father’s nature (Hebrews 1:3).

The picture of living your life under Jesus — Jesus Over You — continued to become more clear. It is how faith comes to know a life of joy.

And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
Colossians 3:15-17 ESV

The definition of over as a preposition (a word showing positional relationship of one thing to another) includes not only above, but has the meaning of holding a higher position, a place of superiority, and possession of authority.

To attain and retain a life of “JOY in the Lord always” means we place Jesus in the position in our lives where He is:
over us in superiority,
the Authority we live under,
and where we run for cover in times of trouble.

If you find yourself living without JOY — like I did — then you have most likely come out from under Jesus. Perhaps you have miss-placed Him in your life. You’ve probably gone astray from where you are supposed to be… spiritually, emotionally, physically, relationally.

We are prone to wander!

I encourage you to come back under Him.
View life from the place of authority He has not only over you, but over everything and everyone.
Remember His superiority of character. His love never failing. His mercies new every morning. His faithfulness higher than the heavens.
Run to Him for cover from whatever is stealing your joy! He is a sure refuge in any time of trouble.
And give thanks. The practices of thanksgiving and gratitude move our hearts to joy and fill our mouths with rejoicing.

Faith knows how to live a life of JOY.
Live with Jesus Over You!

May the Lord bless us with the joy of a life lived under the reality of His unfailing love!

Carol

---

Feature Image Photo by Gary Butterfield on Unsplash