Finding Joy

Happy 2023!

I'm so glad to be in a new year and to look back at all the things God taught me and led me through in 2022.

That being said, if you've been around or read some of the blogs I've already released you know that last May I lost a family member who I was close with.

What you may not know is that it wrecked me.

Immediately I was experiencing full grief, full depression, full guilt.

I was covered in this feeling of fear and sadness, but I knew that scripture says we serve a God who through his spirit gives us joy. I wanted to experience this joy, but I didn't even know where to start.

So how do you find joy in a world that doesn’t permit it?

You look to the God who invites you to experience it.

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The parable of the prodigal son.

The prodigal son is one of Jesus' most well-known parables. the story of a son

Who leaves his home to seek out worldly lusts, just to run out of money and pine to eat pig slop. when he returns home, he’s greeted with love, joy, and celebration.

We love this story because we can relate to it, we have all been the prodigal son. The story also shows us God's character and forgiveness. This story is a picture of the gospel.

good news, even though you don't deserve it you have a Father who loves you.

But I’m not going to focus on the prodigal son himself, he had no problem finding joy. He had just been redeemed and his dad was throwing a party to welcome him back home. Right after this grand tale, we read about his brother. While everyone was celebrating the return of one son, the other was resentful.

“The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him.” - Luke 15:28

He was jealous. He was self righteous.

“But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’” -Luke 15:29-30

When I first heard the story of the prodigal son, I immediately saw his brother as the antagonist of the story. He’s the bad guy, he’s awful, he’s a jerk.

But just like how I can related to the prodigal son, I too can relate to his brother.

He was what we become when we forget the gospel.

He had forgotten the reason for the celebration.

When we read the brothers complaint to his father we see his jealousy and want to be praised. He’s saying “Dad, I did everything right, why aren’t you throwing me a party?” But the party for the prodigal son wasn’t one of praising righteousness, it was celebrating redemption. We do not serve a God who boosts our ego with a party, we serve a God who shows us how the gospel should be treated: with celebration.

Hear me clearly when I say this: we live in a world that preaches self love, but we trust in a God who abhors it.

We live in a world that promotes pride, but we trust in a God who despises it.

We live in a world that says you should chase your heart's desires, but we trust in a God who calls the heart deceitful above all things.

“People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,” -2 Timothy 3:2

"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?" - Jeremiah 17:9

When I speak on self love being biblically incorrect, I’m not saying you should hate yourself. That’s also unbiblical. When you think you’re unworthy of love you’re opposing God, who values you and deeply loves you. But self love is synonymous with conceit, narcissism, and vanity. An antonym for self love? Modesty. (https://www.thesaurus.com/browse/self-love) If we are to follow Holy Spirit instead of our flesh, our desire to love ourselves should be filled by God’s perfect love for us. Which will overflow with love for others.

It’s the fruit of the spirit.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23

Sounds like what the participants of the prodigal sons party were experiencing, but the opposite of his brothers heart. In fact, just before listing the fruits of the spirit in Galatians, Paul lists out the works of the flesh.

‘The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.” -Galatians 5:19-21

Much like the brother of the prodigal son, when we abide in our flesh for our attitude, our mood, our morality, etc. we abandon the love, joy, and peace we can experience through the spirit.

His brother was so consumed by his jealousy, anger, and righteousness so much so that he refused to go and join in on the celebration.

When we get caught up in our self righteousness, our jealousy, our anger, our flesh we stop ourselves from entering celebration.

But at the heart of it, what is celebration? The Bible describes the prodigal sons return as a party, but don't be confused: this wasn't a rave. This was a reconciliation in the presence of God. To be in that celebration is to be in the presence of God.

To be in the presence of God having been made redeemed, is to be in celebration.

The question we have to confront is what is holding you back from celebration?

Even if it's grief, Gods love is greater.

Even if it's fear, God's love is greater.

Even if it's guilt, God's love is greater.

God's love is always greater.

The redemption is worthy to be celebrated, even if the circumstances of the world beg to differ.

As the gospel was evident and available to the prodigal son, so it was for his brother.

His father left the party to tend to his other sons heart. Even though he didn't deserve it, he still had a father who loves him.

Even when you turn back to your flesh and refuse to celebrate, God is ready to remind you of why He’s celebrating.

“My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’” -Luke 15:31-32

His father reminded his son that he is still deeply loved and valued. But he also reminded him why we celebrate.

We can see ourselves, our testimony, our love story with God, in both the prodigal son and his brother.

Even when you refuse to join in on the party like the prodigal sons brother there’s always a reason to choose joy and celebrate.

That's because you’ve been redeemed like the prodigal son.

Refocus on what matters.

Recenter yourself on the Gospel.

Relinquish your self righteousness.

And join the celebration.