joy to the world

Over the past few years, I have noticed a personal decline in felt joy. This decline could be explained by the occurrence of various events on a sliding scale of importance, but its meaning (if properly traced to the root) and the Christmas story are intrinsically related. Put plainly, the reason the God of the universe came to earth as a human child and the reason I have experienced a loss of naive happiness are one and the same: apart from the sacrifice of Christ, the world is decaying and all that is appropriately held dear is lost. Truth be told, the effects of such decay--even with the grace of Christ being present today--can sometimes still be staggering, even to the regenerate heart. While death and sin no longer hold victory over us, they can still wreck physical, mental, and emotional havoc in a world not yet perfected.

But wait--did you catch that? While death and sin no longer hold victory over us... As someone who personally shudders at unnecessary sentimentality, or "cheese," I urge you not to pass over that weighty phrase as trite, for therein lies our joy. That phrase is death to cynicism, which is perhaps why we ignore it. For those who struggle with joy, it is much more comfortable to grab hold of the realities of sin and run, ignoring the truth of the gospel. And for a moment, I will pause there to say that we do indeed need to face the reality of a world broken by sin. Life IS hard, and Christianity does not promise to remove struggle or pain from our mortal lives.

But we've also got to face the reality of the birth, death, and resurrection of Christ. This Christmas season, I have been confronted with the birth of Christ and what it really means. It means that we are loved. We have not been left alone to deal with the trials that the world, and yes, the Devil, throw at us. We may be persecuted, but we will never be forsaken (2 Cor. 4:9). As I look back over the past few years, I do indeed see a steady opening of my eyes to the harshness of life. But if I look carefully and overthrow the desire to display my own so-called maturity with a willingness to embrace this despairing life, I see a pattern of provision by my Heavenly Father. I see a beauty wrought through difficulty and fortune. I am forced to recognize a goodness in the circumstances of my life along with the struggles. And I cannot allow myself to reasonably respond with anything less than joy.