Have you noticed how much easier it is to be joyful on Sunday than on Monday? My friends at Vocari (see link to the left of this post) have a motto “Thank God It’s Monday”, but most of us are still at TGIF. And yet, Paul calls on us to be constantly joyful: “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4) Easy for him to say – he didn’t have to deal with my boss (or co-worker, job stress, boredom, or whatever else it is that saps your joy the moment you step into work).
Yet joy is another of the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22. If we’re filled with the Spirit at all times, then somewhere in us is the capacity for joy at all times. That’s what Paul knew and demanded that we live out – not just when we feel good, not just when everything is going well.
Joy is a rather elusive concept. For me it is a profound sense that God is in control, that he loves me and has uniquely created and called me, and that He is wherever I am. Circumstances may be challenging, my moods may swing wildly, I may be far from happy, but these things don’t change. Neither does the presence of the Holy Spirit inside me, so for that reason there is joy at all times. When Paul tells us to “rejoice” he is saying we need to let this joy out – not to pretend or conjure it up, because it really is there – it is the fruit of the Spirit, whom we have, so it is there already.
What are the things that make this joy flow out through us? Closeness to God for starters. Prayer, Bible Study, fellowship – all things that we do on Sunday but not so often on Monday. As a practical matter, that’s why it is essential for me that I start my day with God, find times to pray and give thanks during the day, and maintain the perspective that I have this amazingly cool calling to be God’s ambassador (2 Corinthians 5:20) in the workplace.
What an impact it would have on the lives of others if we maintained and expressed this joy that is God’s free gift to us, while working our way through work crises, dealing with difficult people, or taking on tasks that we’d much rather not do. I wish I could say I’m consistent about this. It seems as though the moment my eyes drop from God, I’m back mired in my own native misery! But there are moments, and people notice them. They don’t necessarily rush up and ask what makes us so wonderful (!) but the mood, the perspective, and the joy itself have a tendency to rub off. Surely this is what God wants?
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