In my small cottage style home, I stay at home with my two wonderful kids. The oldest is three and my youngest is two. During school hours, I also keep another two year old, and pick up her six year old sister once she gets out of school. All of this is to say that I have 3 preschoolers that I am trying to keep alive all day almost every day. To some, this might sound crazy, but they actually play really well together. Occasionally, I have to sort out who pushed who and who started what. That’s normal. It’s usually peaceful, and I know how to keep it that way. If I refrain from asking them to put all of their toys where they go before lunch, then I know that I can keep the peace. The house will be a disaster, and clutter keeps my mind stressed. Relationally, though, it sometimes feels worth it because the BIGGEST tantrums are thrown at clean up time. I always take a deep breath before declaring it to be clean up time. There are times where I am blissfully surprised at how compliant the kids are being, and there are others where the kids fight over wanting to grab the same toy, resulting in injuries. On average, I hear, “I can’t do it! It’s too hard! I need you to help me!”
This I can relate to. I look at their mess, and I remember being a kid feeling overwhelmed by my own untidy room. There have been many dinner conversations where I tell my husband how overwhelmed I am by the house, and express feelings of hopelessness. In these moments where I hear my kids expressing those same feelings, I try to be moved to compassion. I encourage them that if they act in obedience, I will step in and help.
How often do we feel this in our own lives? We beep bop along life doing whatever it is that we are doing only to stop and realize what a mess we have made of things. How often do we look at this mess and cry out that it is just too hard or impossible to get right? Some people are ambitious enough to roll up their sleeves, read a few how-to books, and get to work. Others may wallow and mourn in hopelessness over their situations. Which person is acting in the right way? In this series of blog posts so far, I have written quite a few messages of obedience as we study through John 15. There are some hard truths to swallow as we realize that true love for Jesus can only be expressed through obedience and surrender. It would be easy and natural to really digest these messages and begin to feel overwhelmed by the mess in our lives. How are we to respond? How do we look at our mess and move on in the right way?
10 When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. 11 I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!
John 15:10-11
Jesus acted in obedience to God the Father as an expression of love. It wasn’t enough to be born as a man and tell people what He believes to be true. In every detail of His life, He expressed His enormous love for His Father by being obedient. In the same way, we are being told that having a one time surrendering experience isn’t what loving God is. Saying that you are a Christian isn’t what makes you a Christian. Being surrendered and obedient in every detail of your life out of a place of love for Christ is what makes you a Christian.
Do you feel overwhelmed or intimidated yet? I think the disciples probably started feeling the way that I do now, the way my son feels when he looks at his toys scattered all over the house.
“I can’t do it! It’s just too hard! I need you to help me!”
Here’s the kicker, though. We aren’t meant to be able to do it on our own. Jesus made a statement as if He expected this hard truth to be swallowed with joy. HIS joy. An overflowing joy. As a fallen people, we tend to look at life through the lenses of what we can or can’t do. Instead, God wants us to give up, and walk in obedience trusting in what HE CAN do.
they should celebrate with a feast.
Let’s jump back to the book of Nehemiah. At this time, the Hebrews had been allowed by the Persian empire to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple and the city walls. After 70 years of exile, these broken people set out to accomplish a hard task under harsh conditions. As they worked to rebuild what they had lost, they faced continued opposition from outside forces. They had to defend what was still in progress. It was a tiring job, but Nehemiah, their governor whose name meant “to comfort”, was able to help them get it done expediently with the Lord’s power. After their work was complete, Ezra, the priest, brought out the long forgotten book of the law. This was the law that God had given to Moses for all of the nation to obey as His chosen people. Those who had returned and rebuilt the city gathered together to hear a reading of the law. Translators walked through the crowd to bring interpretations to those who no longer spoke their native tongue. All together, as the people realized and felt their total disregard to the commands of God, they mourned. Loudly, they wept over their disobedience. You would think that to be a proper response. Mourning and repentance seem to go together, but what Nehemiah did in response was peculiar. Nehemiah told them that on that sacred day, rather than mourning, they should celebrate with a feast. He told them to go home with their families or together with neighbors to feast because the joy of the Lord would be their strength. They intentionally took action to cultivate joy into their families and community rather than waiting on it to just happen. It was likely over the dinner table that they shared old stories of God’s deliverance and power, which built up their faith. The next day, they got to work looking at the law in greater detail and excitedly put it into action.
Nehemiah realized that the task of obedience was far greater than themselves, even in working together. They needed a strength that was greater than themselves. He also realized that joy was not something that you get after satisfactorily accomplishing a task or getting something that you want. Joy was rather an expression of faith before the task was done. While they looked at their mess, they expressed faith in the character of God by having joy.
Joy is not a feeling that comes and goes with the circumstances around us. Joy is an expression of faith knowing that with the strength and providence of God, all things really are possible.
Abraham was willing to march his only son to the top of a mountain to be sacrificed to God. (And we aren’t willing to give up our favorite television show). He knew and trusted God’s character, and it was by having faith in His God that Abraham was able to act in obedience. Of course, the Lord did not allow Abraham to follow through in the killing of his son. Obedience is critical, but cannot be accomplished without a level of faith.
2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.[a Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.
Even Jesus was strengthened by joy to endure the cross. He promises that same joy for us as we walk in obedience, and obedience is likely impossible without it.
A Christian is one who is obedient to Christ, motivated by love, and strengthened by joy.
Do you find yourself lacking strength to walk in obedience? Do your circumstances look hopeless and leave you feeling alone and void of joy? I implore you to find a church community. Listen to seasoned believers reminisce about the hand of God in their lives. Have your faith built up by their stories, and joy will be cultivated into the soft soil of your heart, strengthening you to have your own adventure found in obedience.
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SHOUTOUT to a podcast called “The Discipline of Joy” on the Bethel Church channel.
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