"The trouble with leaving it at "Trust God" is that the concept of God is so broad—infinite really—that if we're not careful, we can create a picture or an image of God that is intangible and obscure, an image of God that isn't even accurate...So it is of no comfort to us in our [specific] time of trouble and it leaves us helpless to the onslaught that troubles our hearts, and makes joy unsustainable..."
But there's something different—at least for me, at least this week—to have Jesus look me in the eye, and say, "Trust in me. Trust in me. You believe in God. Believe also in me."
"In our passage, Jesus is on the verge of unspeakable rejection and suffering. literally, within an hour or two, he will begin his passion. And yet, in his final instructions, he's talking to his followers about his joy. How can he have joy? How can he talk about joy, minutes before he is arrested and beaten and executed?
"...Through it all, he knew he was in God's care. He knew there was a bigger picture, and there was a bigger story, and he was a part of that bigger picture and story, so he had joy."
"James says it this way: 'Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.' (James 1:17) And it is this truth—this fact—that makes being thankful in the midst of disappointment and trials a reasonable response. You see, being thankful is not dishonest or naive or ignorant of facts. Really, it is ignorance that requires ignorance of facts. In order to complain, we have to look past all the good things, to pick out the exception to the rule. And then focus all of our energy on that one exception..."
"Now remember, we're defining joy in this series as 'a pervasive and constant sense of well-being.' So in the language of this series, we're talking about choosing the path that leads to a pervasive and constant sense of well-being, no matter our circumstances. And grieving, lamenting is the path to choose in response to the pain and brokenness of this world.
"Over the past seven years or so, at least from my perspective, an alarming number of Christ followers have opted to deal with the pain and brokenness of life and this world by sitting in the seat of a scoffer (Psalm 1:1)...The scoffer is the one who stands away, stands apart, strokes their chin—skeptically, cynically, bitterly, and arrogantly—while critiquing and criticizing and shaking their head. So instead of a healthy grieving over the sufferings and failings and disappointments of their own soul, the scoffer focuses on the failings and disappointments of others."
"How do we find happiness and hang on to it in a world where hardship and heaviness and violence and trouble seem so unrelentless and so unstoppable. Well, over the next five weeks, our answer is: Choose Joy."
"Happiness may not be possible in this broken world. Because typical happiness is often if not usually dependent on circumstances...life is a roller coaster of circumstances. But regardless of our circumstances, we can choose joy. Joy is deeper than happiness...Christian joy is a pervasive and constant sense of well-being."