Good News Sense

Perhaps Not Happy, But Joyful

In many hearts, the burdens weigh the soul down in despair;

No glad refrain, no happy words will take their pain away.

Except the very love of God has come that weight to bear;

X-static voices sing their joy to Babe on bed of hay.

Problems steal vitality, leave emptiness inside;

Routine becomes passivity and listless, lifeless mind,

Enduring not enjoying life, hearts hopeless do abide.

Suddenly, our Deliv’rer comes, a King of humble kind.

Savior of the world is he, this tiny infant King

Incarnate God, true human man, he knows our frailty,

Brokenness, and suffering; his death will healing bring,

Life, abundant life, and more, true joy eternally.

Each of us must walk this earth, endure it for a time;

Joyfulness and liberty will lighten heavy loads.

O‘er shepherds’ fields the angels sang of coming peace sublime;

You, too, in hope may sing with joy of coming blessed abodes.

No doubt, people going through hard times will not easily embrace the festive spirit that is common around Christmas time. Grief, loneliness, critical illness, and financial troubles, to name a few, can easily take the fun out of Christmas, and often current circumstances cannot possibly measure up to Christmas memories from happier times.

Such are the failings of the popular Christmas traditions, for they are based on earthly hopes—happy families, prosperous lives, and generous, loving relationships. All of these represent a Christian vision of a life blessed by Christ, as long as one ignores the counter-balancing awareness that “In this world you will have troubles.”

The true joy of Christmas is not what the best of that this fallen world offers to lost, guilty sinners. The authentic promise of Christmas lies in deliverance from this world and from the justice due sinners; it comes in the birth of Jesus, the one who will save his people from their sins. The genuine hope of Christmas is peace available through his grace, not some idealistic dream of a peaceful earth where sinners still rule.

This joy, hope, and peace can lift the heart of the most burdened soul, heal the brokenhearted, rescue the guilty from sin, and draw the eyes away from this world’s sorrow to the future’s unending joy.

“Happy, happy, happy, happy, happy all the time,” says a children’s song. An old gospel song says, “It’s just like Jesus to take the clouds away.” Really? Is that consistent with Scriptures like “In this world you will have tribulation,” “They will hate you because they have hated me,” or “I don’t think the sufferings we are going through now are even worth comparing to the glory that will be revealed to us in the future?” Adults who expect Jesus to take their “clouds” away will often discover otherwise, and telling children that a Christian’s life is “happy all the time” is lying to them, setting them up for disillusionment as they grow up.

Worry comes easily these days; so many things threaten one’s sense of security—a grim view of the economy, high gas prices, war fatalities, and threats of terrorism. Depending on a person’s ideology, the coming election may provoke hope, despair, or cynicism. Few are optimistic, and even those will likely be disappointed. Some simply refuse to get involved and seek passing relief in sex, drugs or alcohol, or other indulgence.

Even redeemed, sinners living in a fallen world of sinners suffer; it is unavoidable. We struggle in our relationships because getting along with sinners, even the better ones, is hard. People disappoint and hurt us, some by accident and some with ill intent. We experience both physical and mental agony. We also suffer from illness and injury, birth defects and inherited disorders, and the disabilities of age. We endure limitations, discomfort, chronic pain, and the looming reality of death. Fear of death is frightening, but losing a precious loved to death is yet another kind of anguish, grief exacerbated if death comes to a child in a tragic accident or unexpected calamity. Finally are the misfortunes that take away home or livelihood—fires, natural disasters, business reversals, job losses, or social upheavals. In this world, we do suffer.

Human suffering may be solitary or involve an entire community or people—war, famine, epidemic, poverty, or natural disaster. When the various causes of pain and anguish combine, as when families fight after a parent dies or thieves steal in the wake of a natural disaster, the toll is even greater. What is clear is that in this world, even for the finest, most upstanding Christians, life is no bowl of cherries. Or if it is, why am I “always in the pits,” as Erma Bombeck entitled book? Amazingly, even when life seems to be good, darkness apparently haunts some; consider the suicides of celebrities or even of bright young people who appear to have wonderful lives.

The good news is that God has arranged for encouragement to sustain us, this side of eternity. Words such as “blessed,” “joy,” and “contentment” convey a suitable alternative to “happy, happy, happy,” but we must not confuse them. The reality is wonderful, but expecting to simply “feel good” all the time can be devastating, even to the destruction of a person’s faith. Trying to comprehend the difference has even led me to question the concept of “endless bliss.” Perhaps that is why C. S. Lewis entitled his autobiography Surprised by Joy.

“Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I say, rejoice,” wrote Paul, suggesting that we must choose to look beyond the “momentary” suffering to the Lord who suffered to make a way out for us. Paul also said, “I have learned to be content.” If Paul had to learn, then most likely we will need to work at learning how to be content. This may be harder in a culture of ever more immediate gratification. Contentment requires a willingness to accept what is while we wait for what will be. The cap on all of this comes in the Beatitudes where Jesus promises blessings for all kinds of people including the suffering “poor in spirit.” Life ain’t easy, but the good news is that, in Jesus, it is more than bearable.

(I posted this earlier, and it was lost due for technical reasons.  If anything, it is even more appropriate as we seem to face increasingly bad economic news.  Believers dare not put rest their outlook in this world but in the realities rooted in the next!)