Joy, Church, and the Neglected Face of God - An 11-Day PlanSample

The importance of joy to our brain highlights the fact that we must suffer in community. We were not meant to suffer alone. We need to lean on God and on our people in times of distress. We naturally do this when a family member dies. Everyone comes together in order to share the sadness. We tell stories about the deceased. We eat together. We sit in silence. We are joyful (not happy) because we want to suffer together. This is the definition of joy: I want to be with you. Joy is relational in its essence.

Joy is the foundation for a secure bond with God. When I trust that God is happy to be with me and is smiling at me, this joy naturally removes fear from the relationship. A goal we have in our bond with God is to nurture a loving relationship until it has no fear. One of Jesus’ disciples explains it well in 1 John 4:18. Joy is the path to a fearless love for God.

Our identity is built and formed by joy-bonded relationships. The identity center in our brain grows in response to joy, which helps us act like ourselves in all situations. In a performance-based relationship or community, our identity becomes distorted because we feel the need to perform. When we put on a pretend self, our joy starts decreasing. We can build joy only with our true self. When churches foster a performance-based environment that encourages us to simply put on a happy face when we are suffering, it will quickly run out of joy. 

I have already mentioned that joy helps us experience God’s presence in our bodies. I could keep listing more benefits, but let me quote a book Jim coauthored, Joy Starts Here: The Transformation Zone: 

When we are the sparkle in someone’s eyes, their face lights up with a smile when they see us. We feel joy. From the moment we are born, joy shapes the chemistry, structure and growth of our brain. Joy lays the foundation for how well we will handle relationships, emotions, pain and pleasure throughout our lifetime. Joy creates an identity that is stable and consistent over time. Joy gives us the freedom to share our hearts with God and others. Expressing our joyful identity creates space for others to belong. Joy gives us the freedom to live without masks because, in spite of our weaknesses, we know we are loved. We are not afraid of our vulnerabilities or exposure. Joy gives us the freedom from fear to live from the heart Jesus gave us. We discover increasing delight in becoming the people God knew we could be.

God designed us to live on a rich diet of joy-filled relationships. Communities that take joy building seriously will experience all of the benefits listed above and more. Since joy happens when people are glad to be together, take a moment to remember your own experiences in joyful groups. Have you seen any of these benefits of joy?

• I feel like I belong

• I feel more stable when things go wrong

• It is easier to be myself

• I feel free to share my heart with God and others

REFLECTION QUESTIONS:

1. While reading of the many benefits of joy, which benefit stood out to you?

2. Which of these benefits seem unreal or unreachable to you and why?