What brings you joy in life?
The television adverts tell us many things. They tell us that if we buy a new electric car, we shall feel better about the future. A new kitchen will transform life at home. The right cleaning product will make our washing whiter than white, and now, of course, it can even be done in cold water.
We are told that a holiday in Turkey will give us sunshine, rest, and happiness. Fast food will taste better than anything we could prepare ourselves, and the latest mobile phone promises connection, entertainment, and new experiences.
But is life really that simple? Is joy really something we can buy, download, upgrade, or consume? Perhaps some of these things do bring a little pleasure for a while. A new possession can be exciting. A holiday can be refreshing. A good meal can be enjoyable. But I suspect that the satisfaction does not usually last for very long.
Soon we become used to what we have, and before long we are looking for something else. Some of us are hoarders, and I include myself in that. We buy books we do not read, tools that never come out of their boxes, or plastic models which do not always get made. We look back and think, “Why did I buy that? It did not really bring me any joy.”
The world tells us that we have not got enough, do not do enough, and are not smart, successful, or good-looking enough. We must remove the wrinkles, stop the signs of age, keep up with everyone else, and never appear weak. But should we really listen to that sort of message?
We never seem to be content, do we, with what we have? We want something new, something better, something more. And when we finally get the thing we thought we wanted, does it truly satisfy us? Often it does not. We simply move on to the next desire.
In 1 Timothy 6, Paul reminds us that we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. If we have food and clothing, we should be content. Those who set their hearts on riches, he warns, fall into foolish and harmful desires. The love of money and possessions can pull us down and leave us anxious, restless, and dissatisfied.
Then there is complaining. I suspect I am guilty of this too. The council should have done this. The NHS has failed to do that. The food on holiday was not good enough. The service was too slow. The weather was wrong. How easy it is to take a negative view of life.
But it is far more helpful, for ourselves and for others, to look for what is good. That does not mean pretending that everything is easy. Life can be very hard. But perhaps we need to concentrate more on the blessings we have, and less on what disappoints us.
Complaining has been with mankind for a very long time. We see it in the Israelites as they travelled away from slavery in Egypt. In Exodus 15, 16, and 17, they complained to Moses because there was not enough water or food. God provided manna and quails, yet still they grumbled.
At Mount Sinai, while Moses went up the mountain to meet with God and receive the Ten Commandments, the people would not wait. They became impatient and made a golden calf to worship. Later, they complained that they were tired of the food God had given them and wanted something else.
Then, in Numbers 14, the spies went into the Promised Land. They found that the land was good, but also saw powerful people who seemed like giants. Only Caleb and Joshua looked with faith and trusted God. The others saw only danger, and the result was forty years in the desert. What a shame.
Sometimes we are like that today. It is easy to complain, easy to be negative, easy to see only the bad side of things. But what does that do to us? It drains hope from our hearts. So is the glass half empty, or half full? I would rather say it is half full, and ask God to help me be content, positive, and trusting, even in a life which is challenging.
We know that trusting God can bring joy in a way physical things cannot. In Philippians 4, Paul says he has learned the secret of being content in every situation, whether he has plenty or very little. That is remarkable, because in 2 Corinthians 11 he describes prison, beatings, shipwreck, robbery, sleepless nights, hunger, thirst, and lack of shelter.
Yet despite all this, Paul urges us to be joyful in the Lord. “Rejoice in the Lord always,” he says, “and again I say, rejoice.” There is a song about that, of course, though perhaps it is a little corny. But the truth is not corny. Paul is telling us that joy is possible even in difficult situations, because when we are weak, we learn to rely on the Lord, and he gives us the strength we need.
As we get older, we face all sorts of responsibilities, worries, losses, and problems, and they can weigh us down. So we need to change our focus. Not simply on what we want, but on what God wants. Not on our anxieties, but on his presence and his promises.
In Philippians 4 verse 6, Paul tells us to bring everything to God in prayer. Nothing is too great for him, and nothing is too small. Sometimes we do not know how to pray, and then it is good to have the Lord’s Prayer. And if we look at that prayer, we see that it begins with praise: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.”
Paul tells us to come to God with a thankful heart. Prayer is not simply presenting God with a shopping list. He hears our needs, yes, but he also wants a two-way conversation, with minds open and ready to hear what he has to say.
Paul says that when we place God first, his peace will guard our hearts and minds. And who knows? Some of the requests we were going to bring in our shopping list may no longer seem so important once we have worshipped him, thanked him, and remembered who he is.
So let us start by coming to God with thankfulness. Let us reflect on the good things he has done and worship him for who he is. Perhaps, as we do that, we might play a little Christian music. I find that helpful. It lifts the mind away from ourselves and back towards God.
Then, in Philippians 4 verses 8 and 9, Paul tells us what to fill our minds with. Whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, honourable, excellent, and worthy of praise — think about such things. That is not just positive thinking in a shallow way. It is a deliberate decision to feed our hearts and minds with what is good.
That also makes me think of 1 Corinthians 13. Love is patient and kind. It is not jealous, conceited, or proud. It is not ill-mannered, selfish, or irritable. It does not keep a record of wrongs. Love is not happy with evil, but is happy with the truth. Love never gives up, and its faith, hope, and patience never fail.
To live like that requires us to spend time with the Lord, meditating and praying, asking him to give us his mind. We cannot do it properly in our own strength. We need him to transform us from within, and to stop us being squeezed into the shape of the world around us.
That reminds me of Romans 12 verses 1 and 2, where Paul appeals to us, because of God’s mercy, to offer ourselves as living sacrifices, dedicated to his service. He tells us not to conform to this world, but to let God transform us by a complete change of our minds. Then we shall know the will of God: what is good, pleasing, and perfect.
If we do this, Paul says in Philippians, we shall have peace, a peace far beyond human understanding. And we shall also learn to rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I say rejoice. That joy does not depend on possessions, comfort, success, or everything going our way. It depends on Christ.
Paul puts this into practice himself. In Philippians 4 verses 14 to 18, he thanks the Philippians for their generous gifts, describing them as a sweet-smelling offering to the Lord. Notice that he does not simply demand things from them. He trusts God to provide what is needed, and God prompts others to help.
That is moving forward in faith, and it is something we must do too. We may not always see how God will provide. We may not know how a problem will be solved. But we can trust him, pray to him, and take the next step with him.
Paul also applies this teaching to the disagreement between two Christian women in the church, Euodia and Syntyche. We are not told exactly why they had fallen out, but perhaps selfish motives had taken over, as they so easily can with any of us. They needed to refocus their lives on Jesus, and in that way they could agree with each other again. Fellow believers were asked to help them.
Sometimes, sadly, there are disagreements among us too. Perhaps we also need to refocus on Jesus and make him the centre of what we are doing. When Christ is at the centre, our pride becomes smaller, our love grows stronger, and our joy becomes deeper.
So, to conclude: be content with what you have. Be positive, not because life is easy, but because God is faithful. Pray always, with joy in your hearts. Come to God with thankfulness. Fill your mind with what is true, noble, pure, lovely, and worthy of praise. Ask him to give you the mind of Christ, working in you each day.
And then, even when life is uncertain, even when possessions disappoint, even when troubles come, we shall discover a joy that lasts: the joy of knowing the Lord, trusting him, and rejoicing in him always.