(in)courage - Courageous Joy: Delight in God through Every Season

C hoose joy!

Its a phrase we see everywhere, from embroidered pillows to hand-lettered graphics on Pinterest. Its a sentiment we give and receive in all sorts of circles, implying that a smile is the only acceptable expression a face can have and happiness is the only appropriate emotion a person should express. Its a biblical command that can, at times, feel confusing and callous as we try to figure out how exactly to choose joy and only joy.

But what if choosing joy isnt as straightforward as weve been led to believe? What if its less about the look on our face and more about the state of our heart?

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! (Phil. 4:4 CSB).

Its a command. Its an invitation. Its a Bible verse and, for some of us, a song lyric we cant help humming each time we see the words.

But what if this encouragement to rejoice is not just one more item on our be a good Christian checklist but rather is a gift from God? What if this emphasis on joyechoed on T-shirts and tattoos and stickers that adorn our water bottles and laptopsis for our good instead of a way for us to be good?

The joy of the Lord is so much deeper, so much more life-giving than the joy of this world. Its longer lasting than fleeting happiness and more contagious than the giggles of a child. (Although little-kid giggles might be one thing that brings us both worldly and holy joy!) Joy in the Lord is more than a catchphrase or a consolation prize when life gets hard. And though its impossible to find joy on our own, we are never actually left alone in our quest for it. God freely offers both the courage to seek joy and every reason to find it. He is our joy, and He shares our joy.

Courageous joy is both breathtakingly simple and beautifully complex. And its what were going to investigate over the next six weeks.

You wont find a dictionary definition of joy in the Bible. Rather, youll find repeated invitations to rejoice and to shout for joy, as well as dozens of ways to do just that. From Gods incredible creation and the hope we find in knowing Him, to forgiveness, friendship, and even facing trials, the list of reasons to find joy in the Lord is long and runs from Genesis through Revelation.

Sometimes, though, we struggle to find joyeven when we know and love the Lord. And sometimes joy shows up in a tangle of other emotions, and were unsure which thread to pull. Joy is often found in the company of gratitude and hope; surprisingly, its also available through grief and weariness. For most of us, if we had to describe our relationship with joy, we would say, Its complicated.

This Bible study about courageously seeking and sharing joy will help. Together, we will dive into the Word of God to learn what He says about joy. Well learn to find joy in every circumstance we face and to share it with everyone we encounter. Well begin to understand how a person can truly count it all joy, even when the all were given is not the all we were hoping for or expecting. Together, we will make Psalm 100 our anthem:

Make a joyful noise to the L ORD , all the earth!

Serve the L ORD with gladness!

Come into his presence with singing!

Know that the L ORD , he is God!

It is he who made us, and we are his;

we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving,

and his courts with praise!

Give thanks to him; bless his name!

For the L ORD is good;

his steadfast love endures forever,

and his faithfulness to all generations. (ESV)

How to Use This Study

Courageous Joy is a great study for personal or small group use. If youre doing it with a group, we recommend allowing at least forty-five minutes for discussion, or more for larger groups. (We think groups of four to ten people work great!) Enhance your community study experience with our Courageous Joy leader guide and videos. To download your free small group resources go to www.incourage.me/leaderguides.

Each day of this study has a lot to take in. As you work through it, dont feel like you have to complete it all in one sitting. Just like God doesnt want choosing joy to be another thing we check off our list in order to earn a prize, we dont intend for this study to be something that weighs you down with expectations. Will you be challenged? We hope so! But as you grow in faith and joy in the Lord, our prayer is that you will finish encouraged.