Five Keys to Joy

by Janet Birkey
Published September 21, 2005

Joy is not always our first language, but God tells us to have joy, be joyful, and rejoice.
But what about when we don’t feel that there is any joy left, when we don’t feel joyful and we feel like doing anything but rejoicing? How do we follow God’s command to feel, be and do all these things when they appear impossible? Everyone asks these very questions, but fortunately, the Bible holds the keys for us to use in learning to have a joy in our lives.

In Nehemiah 8:10, the prophet Nehemiah gives us keys for those times we “don’t feel like” being joyous. Nehemiah & Company have been in the process of rebuilding the walls of the city. The work on the walls was finished, but work still needed to be done in the hearts of the people. Like them, we often need extra doses of joy when we have been in the process of rebuilding the walls of our lives.

Key #1
The first thing that Nehemiah tells us is “Go eat of the fat”. Our 21st century culture doesn’t normally advocate eating fat, but here Nehemiah tells us to eat. Eat up. Enjoy the pleasures that God has given us. In other words, “Eat of the fat!” When life is difficult, we can easily turn into martyrs, but that is not what God wants. He still wants us to notice the myriad of gifts He gives us each day.

You will begin to put this key into use as you make a list of God’s good gifts to you that you do not normally notice. Be sure to list the seemingly small, free things of everyday life. You will be surprised how many really great gifts God gives to you every day.

Key #2
The next thing Nehemiah tells the people is, “…drink the sweet.” Applying this to our physical and spiritual lives, we are to remember to live in the present moment. There are two categories of life: living and waiting to live. When we are in the mode of waiting to live, we consider everyone and everything to be wasting our time. Nothing is sweet. We can waste a lifetime while waiting to live. What a waste of what God designed us to be.

In order to live in the present, we should take opportunity to do good when we can. I was involved in a women’s Bible study group several years ago where we had an opportunity to minister to children. Some of the women in our group wanted to pray about whether we should be involved. While they waited for God to bring down the lightening bolt of approval, nothing got done and needs went unmet. I am a huge proponent of prayer, but we can lose a lot of ground in ministering to others when we sit around and do nothing. God has already told us to clothe the poor, feed the hungry, and minister to the sick. There is no need to continue petitioning His approval on these matters.

To use this key, resolve that you will observe happenings in your life, pay attention and live your life instead of spending a lifetime waiting to live.

Key #3
“…give to those who have nothing prepared.” Give to those who have not. In other words, get outside of yourself. At the time I am writing this, Hurricane Katrina has hit several states with a vengeance that only God knows. Most of us can help in one of the areas of with gathering supplies, sending money and spending time in prayer.

This is a practical key! Think about the areas God has been bountiful to you and list how you can use those things in ministering to those in need. You will be prepared the next time and opportunity presents itself.

Key #4
Do not grieve. The keys are getting more difficult to use, but the reward is coming. God made us with emotion and we all know the seriousness of stifled grief. The point here is that we do not grieve as those who have no hope. Isaiah reminds us to put on the garments of praise in exchange for that spirit of heaviness. Allow emotions to have their work, but allow God to do His work and to help you not to wallow in the pain of life.

Are you grieving without hope? Ask God to break through your darkness and to help you see the light of His comfort. One of His names is Comforter. He wants to comfort you in your sorrow.

Key #5
In finishing this verse, you can see how important it is to infuse joy in your life. As you read, “the joy of the Lord is your strength”, you will notice that you have more spiritual strength when you are more joyous. Theologian Dallas Willard reminds us that the more joy we have in our life, the less tempting sin looks to us. Have you ever known a spiritually strong person who did not have joy? As we have more joy, we get stronger spiritually. As we get stronger spiritually, we have more joy.

Put these keys into the locks of your life, and you will find “joy unspeakable and full of glory”!

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