-Paul Philip Levertoff
Love and the Messianic Age
Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
-1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
-James 1:2-4
As believers, we all want to obey Jesus. We want to do the will of God "on earth as it is in heaven" (Matthew 6:10). As human beings we all want to be happy. But I must admit that I have a very difficult time obeying God when He commands me to rejoice.
I don't feel joy, especially on a continual basis.
What?
Wait a minute. First of all, what is "joy?" According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, joy is:
1 a: the emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one desires : delightIs that what God's talking about?
b: the expression or exhibition of such emotion : gaiety
2: a state of happiness or felicity : bliss
3: a source or cause of delight
If it is, then I have a problem and, according to Levertoff's statement, which I quoted above, it's a big problem. If I have no joy, I am denying God. Here's more:
Therefore, first of all, man ought to be happy and joyous at all times, and truly live by his faith in the Lord who animates him and is benignant with him every moment. But he who is grieved and laments makes himself appear as if he has it somewhat bad, and is suffering, and lacking some goodness; he is like a heretic, Heaven forbid. -Igeret HaKodesh 11 (Kehot)But I'm not "happy and joyous at all times" and in fact, I don't really experience lots and lots of happiness on a more or less frequent basis. Sure, there are times when I'm happy or pleased or amused, but I have other emotions as well. I get angry, I get frustrated, I get sad, I get scared, I get depressed. When I'm experiencing those emotional states, am I denying God? Am I a heretic for not experiencing joy continually?
OK, Levertoff does distinguish between a state of happiness or joy that is situational vs. joy that is always present. He says that happiness is affected by immediate events as opposed to a joy in God that is (or should be) continually available. This seems to mean that I can be situationally angry or sad at the same time I'm experiencing (or should be experiencing) ongoing joy in prayer and worship of God.
The really tricky part is, in the Messianic age, of all the festivals of God, only Sukkot (The Festival of Booths) specifically commands that representatives of all the nations of the earth come to Jerusalem and celebrate before the Lord (Zechariah 14:16-19) and here's something very special about Sukkot:
Celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles for seven days after you have gathered the produce of your threshing floor and your winepress. Be joyful at your festival—you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, and the Levites, the foreigners, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns. For seven days celebrate the festival to the LORD your God at the place the LORD will choose. For the LORD your God will bless you in all your harvest and in all the work of your hands, and your joy will be complete. -Deuteronomy 16:13-15
I know all the platitudes and the Bible verses that are aimed at us and that I am told, when utilized properly, will generate a continual state of joy in the believer, but I'm just not "feeling it." Heck, I still haven't figured out how Paul learned to be "content in all circumstances" (see Philippians 4:11-13), let alone joyful. I'm obviously missing something in my character and my faith. Is it just me, or do other people have this problem, too (and would you admit it if you did)?
What about people who are chronically depressed and even suicidal? According to Levertoff, the commentary on his book, and general Christian belief, they are being sinful. What about kids being sexually abused at home, wives battered by husbands, men who have just lost their wives to cancer, the 12 year old daughter of Udi and Ruth Fogel whose parents and three of her siblings were murdered in their home by Palestinian terrorists last Shabbat? What about all of the men, women, and children who have suffered terribly because of the earthquake, tsunami, and current nuclear radiation threat in Japan?
Where is their joy? Are they denying God and being heretics because they are in anguish? Can you feel joy at the same time as you're feeling anguish?
I know that all of the things I've just described are situational and the joy Levertoff and the Bible (and God) are talking about is a different, more persistent state, but how does that all work? I know there are times when I feel a kind of peace when I'm praying, worshiping, or studying the Bible. Is that joy, though?
I love Levertoff's book and I'm really enjoying the Vine of David commentary that goes along with it. I plan to pursue a modest study of Jewish mysticism at some point in the fairly near future, because I can see that it has very significant applications to understanding the Jewish Messiah and everything he taught.
But all that said, I am really struggling with this part of Levertoff and the whole "joy" thing, and it's only a few pages long. I'm tossing this one out there to everyone who reads this blog because I don't have an answer. What is this "joy" God is talking about? Where is it? How do you find it? How do you keep it? Most importantly, what do you do when you don't have joy?
The road is long and often, we travel in the dark.
11 comments:
I agree that continual joy is impossible, inadvisable, and does not match well a thorough reading of the Bible (which features tons of lament). First, Levertoff may simply have been wrong about this (and his sources may have been wrong). Or, they may have done as many teachers, including Yeshua: to give a truth without mentioning exceptions. I think of Yeshua's "do not be anxious" and I know he did not mean "when they take you to Auschwitz."
Thanks for the comment, Derek. I was wondering if anyone would "rise to the challenge", so to speak, and address this rather sensitive subject. I agree that a state of continual, conscious joy isn't literally possible for a person, but I have met some believers (just a few) who do seem to be generally enthused about everything in life because of their relationship with the Creator. I don't know if they're just "wired" that way or if they know something the rest of us don't.
I'm really interested in other responses to this matter. I can't believe that no one else struggles with maintaining a sense of contentment and joy because of their faith and the pressures and hassles of everyday life (not to mention those extraordinary tragedies that sometimes befall us).
I link joy & hope together. If a person does not have hope then there's no joy. It is because my hope is in God that I have joy. I am thinking the joy we have is something deep that is not the same as the carnel worlds. Our joy is the presence of God in us, in all our pain & sorrows in life. He is our JOY.
Anonymous, that sounds great as far as something we'd learn in a class or what we'd listen to in a Sunday sermon, but how does it work in practical, day-to-day life? When you're in the midst of dispair, when a loved one has just died, when an earthquake has destroyed your home, your family, and everything you hold dear, do you still "feel" joy? Yes, somewhere deep inside, you may hope on God to get you through the mess, but is that the same thing?
I had a thought on this point today as I was getting ready to leave home for work. My daughter (a young "adult") is currently experiencing a minor meltdown in her life where she's making some poor decisions and I'm not particularly happy with her right now. OK, I'm angry because of some of the things she's decided to do and not do. Yet, at the same time, I love her and feel compassion for her, because underneath her being "cranky", I know she's scared and unsure of herself.
I can be angry at my daughter situationally, but I can experience an ongoing and constant love for her because she's my daughter.
Compare that to being upset/scared/angry/depressed situationally to experiencing joy/hope in God on an ongoing and constant basis. OK, it's far from a perfect analogy, but I think it's times when we're knocked off our feet by some life occurrence that tests the nature and character of our faith and hope in God. Some people abandon Him, other blame Him, others see hardship as God being punitive, but some simply turn to Him, cry out to Him and have hope in Him.
It doesn't answer the "joy" question really, but it does approach the difference between situational emotions and an ongoing state of a relationship with God.
Still probing.
I had another thought on Hope. We as belivers Have our hope in God that gives us joy, but it's really when we don't only,Hope,(we know). We know God is with us in the mist of our situation. Apologize it it sounds like a simple Sunday School lesson. Iam not a writer like you, but still wanted to convey my thoughts about what joy is. The joy a believer has is different than the world. It is his very presence within us. Joy is eternal and emotions are temporary. Jesus expressed his emotions durring his ministery. He interceds for us because he knows our pain and struggles. That is my Hope.
Sorry Anonymous. I wasn't criticizing you, but what you said reminded me of some of the rather superficial teachings I've heard in the past. It is sometimes too easy for a Pastor or a teacher to give a pat answer to someone who is really troubled, rather than trying help them wrestle through their difficulties. We can say "consider it all joy" to someone in a dire situation, but that's a lot like telling a hungry person that you'll pray for them rather than giving them a meal.
I understand, there was no offence taken, only wish I could have said something to help your situation.
I appreaciate your writings, they really make me think deeper about my faith. Sorry about your Daughter, hope your able steer her in the right direction.
Thanks. It's not all that bad. If you read the blog post I wrote after this one, you'll see that I'm "proceeding hopefully".
Raising kids is interesting. It's when they're supposed to be adults that it really gets "fun". But that too is a part of life.
I'm glad you enjoy my blog. Who are you?
Who am I, just an anonymous person named, Michelle who just does not always like to leave her name.
We are still raising our kids too and yes it's an amazing trip. Ours are preteens & Iam trying real hard to instill a Love for God in them. I read different blogs as kind of a brake away from the noise and have some down time.
So on to reading your other posts & you have a wonderful day.
Hi Michelle. It's easier to call someone by name, but I understand that occasionally, a person wants to post a comment and be anonymous. Sorry if I made you uncomfortable.
Thanks again for your comments. All of my kids are in their early 20s, but they are still in various stages of maturing. Sometimes I think this is the toughest stage of parenting, when you have to watch your kids transition into adulthood and not always be able to help them.
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