“Joy
in the Lord” is a phrase Christians use with regularity. But I’m not sure this
regular usage means we fully understand it, though. I’m not even referring to
the puritanical, sourpuss, killjoy Christians—I don’t think they have any
understanding of joy at all. I mean the Christians who titter nervously at
jokes, unsure of whether they should be laughing and suffer angst at the
thought of too much enjoyment of “worldly” pleasures. This sort of emotional
turmoil in the name of “joy” is no joy at all.
God
didn’t create the world for us not to enjoy it.
.
. .
"Joy in the
Lord” is but a farce if there is no joy in the gifts that God puts in front of
us. The joy we think we have is divested of its meaning when we dismiss or shun
the pleasures that God has given usfor our enjoyment.
