The Season of “Joy”
It’s less than a week until Christmas, every road you drive down is decorated with Christmas lights, every radio channel is playing Christmas music, and everyone is out doing their last-minute shopping. The atmosphere is great this time of year; people tend to be a lot happier and friendlier to those around them. It is a season of “joy” with such hits as “it’s the most wonderful time of the year,” “have yourself a merry little Christmas” and even hymns such as “Joy to the world” being played in every shopping mall. With all this happening and the atmosphere around you, you can’t help but feel happy right? Well, that’s what we would assume, but the truth is, this can be the hardest and saddest time of year for many people. This is something we would like to address in this blog.
For those who have lost loved ones, whether, through death or separation, this time of the year where we are encouraged to spend time with the ones we love can be extremely difficult. In fact, for some, this time of the year can prove to be so difficult they either commit or consider suicide.
Being Aware of the Struggle
Suicide is becoming all too popular in our world today; we are seeing more young people kill themselves each year than ever before. We see celebrities also committing suicide, which I can’t help but feel is also affecting the minds of those who follow these “icons.” One celebrity that comes to mind is Robin Williams, arguably one of the best actors and children’s entertainers of our time. He starred in such movies as Jumanji, Hook, Flubber, and not to mention all of the cartoons he did voiceovers for such as Aladdin and Robots. He was a very talented man and brought laughter to many children and adults alike; yet when it came to himself, he lacked the happiness that he so often gave to others. You might notice that I am refraining from using the word “joy” here, that’s because if he, and others who have committed suicide, had joy, they wouldn’t commit suicide.
See, happiness is a temporal feeling that is based on circumstances, whereas joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. Joy is what allows people to endure trying times. Consider Jesus, the Scripture says regarding our Lord:
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” – Hebrews 12:1-2
But you might be thinking, “what does Robin Williams have to do with Christmas?” and rightly so. The truth is, the suicide of Robin Williams is the perfect illustration of the difference between happiness and joy. Let’s tie this back into the subject of Christmas. Many people who don’t have joy, and have suffered loss at Christmas, are often depressed at Christmas time. In fact, only those who understand and believe the true reason of the season (as Michael spoke about last week) can have joy at Christmas time. Those outside the faith may still have fun and find happiness in the “festivities” but that is a temporal feeling that can soon be moved to despair with the change of circumstances, and then for them, Christmas becomes a season of pain rather than joy. However, we are so focused on our own lives and family; we often fail to realize there are people suffering around us.
How We Can Help
What can we do to help these people? Well firstly, we can start by doing the very thing Jesus commands us to do, “go therefore and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19a). This should be the time of the year that we, as Christians, should be sharing our joy and the reason for it with those around us. This world doesn’t need any more “happy” people who are still on their way to hell. It NEEDS those who are filled with the joy of the Holy Spirit, those who are able to endure suffering by looking to Christ. A passage that we have been studying through in our church seems most fitting here:
“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” – Romans 8:18
It’s time for the church to be active in the lives of those who aren’t believers and to lead them to Christ, the only place they will find real joy.
Secondly, we can be aware of the situation. I feel we have become ignorant of the times. We are too busy blending in with the world that it is becoming harder for us to see the problems with it.
And finally, we can actively help those around us whom we know may be suffering. If you know someone who has recently lost a loved one, who may be alone for Christmas or even one of your elderly relatives, then know this may be a hard time for them and go visit them. Show them acts of kindness and compassion, be involved in their lives and share with them the hope of Christ. There is always something we can do; we just have to choose to do it. Therefore, let the last words of this blog be God’s Words: “So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.” (James 4:17)
