Is it possible to have “complete joy” in our lives? Yes, but only when we understand what complete joy looks like from God’s perspective and how he has made it possible for us to experience it.

That word “complete” can leave us feeling so needful of so many things.

Back during the holidays, my wife was having a conversation with someone from a completely different culture and it was right before Black Friday. She asked, “Anything you’re hoping to buy on Black Friday?” And his response, with great kindness and through a smile was, “Oh, we need nothing.”

And he meant it. And his response has challenged us again and again to need nothing upon this earth except the things that really matter – relationships.

We have to first understand that the biblical idea of “joy” is never dependent upon:

• Our circumstances
• Our emotions

So I want to redefine “complete joy” NOT as only having joy and never having pain or grief or suffering but rather, joy and peace in the middle of life’s pain, grief, and suffering. In spite of the hard parts of life, real joy is possible.

“Complete joy” is within reach when you…

1. Trust that you are completely loved.

(vs. 9-11)

KNOW that you are wholly known, loved, and valued.

This is not the same as feeling lovable. This is a matter of accepting, by faith, that God loves you because he is love and because he created you to be an object of his forever love.

2. Transfer your love to other people.

(vs. 12-13)

• It’s a matter of focus. Others instead of myself.

The more I focus on myself, my wants, my needs, my shortcomings, the more needy I feel for things and life and other people to prop me up.

But the more I focus on my life on other people, the better off I am.

• It’s a matter of obedience to God.

We often think of obedience to God as a simple matter of obeying God’s rules so God doesn’t “get” us in a disciplinary way. But what if we substituted another word.

What if we looked at obedience to God as alignment with God’s will?

• It’s a matter of attunement with God and with others.

3. Value your friendship with Jesus.

(vs. 14-15)

Jesus is willing to call us his friends. Not mere acquaintances. Not merely disciples or followers, but friends. He is forever personal.

Do you know what fridge friends are? They’re the people who feel so comfortable with you that they can come into your house, open your fridge, and grab a snack.

Jesus is even more than a fridge friend. He’s so intimately involved with who we are that he remains close even when we p

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In the chronicles of Jesus' first advent are tucked two stories of angelic visits that have similar overtones but completely different results. Both stories are found in the first chapter of Luke, and both involve an angel named Gabriel delivering messages of miraculous occurrences to two separate people.

First, of the priest named Zechariah, Luke tells us (in Luke 1:5-20) that Gabriel broke the news to the aged priest that he and his wife, Elizabeth, would have a son in spite of being in their older years, and that they were to name him John. John's assignment would be to prepare the way for the long-awaited Jewish Messiah.

Zechariah's response is a simple and completely understandable question:

How?

In Luke 1:26-38, Gabriel visits Mary to announce that she, a virgin, would conceive and bear a son. Her response to Gabriel, in a nutshell, is:

How?

Two people, visited separately by the same angel, offering the same question in response to the prophecy of the miraculous: How?

But Gabriel's response to each of them is quite different.

What if Gabriel silenced Zechariah not as some kind of punishment, but because that was the most compassionate way to respond to Zechariah in this season of his life?

Zechariah's story reminds me that God is incredibly patient!

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The spiritual journey we're all on, whether we asked to be on this journey or not, is anything but simple. I see a life of faith unfolding in at least three movements.

SPIRITUAL LIFE PHASE 1: Construction

From the time we’re born, we’re constructing a life. And this construction uses materials that were around long before we were.

Family history
Community life
Media
Play
Education
Friendships
Religion
Tradition

Most of the people who have been a part of your formation will want to stop you here at this point - the construction phase.

It’s likely you will face a lot of fear and uncertainty if you allow your faith, as it has been received and developed thus far, to be open to questions.

And truthfully, very few people choose to move into deconstruction.
Deconstruction tends to choose you.

SPIRITUAL LIFE PHASE 2: Deconstruction

Sometimes this happens gradually, but this is rare.
Almost always, it is a crisis.

Something happens (an experience in life)
We pull a thread (we start asking questions)
We watch our faith seem to unravel

It is in this season that we are most vulnerable. Most likely to:

Turn very inwardly away from people.
Internalize our struggle.
Act out in rebellious, destructive ways.
Become angry.
Allow resentment to set in.
Develop apathy.
Give up.

And here is the good news…

There is more. You were wired to be spiritual, to seek and to search. You’re smart enough to ask all of these questions because you were made in God’s image.

SPIRITUAL LIFE PHASE 3: Reconstruction

This is the phase where a new (or renewed) faith begins to form.
And this is a faith you get to own.
This time, it’s personal.

Welcome discovery.

Of the universe.
Of people.
Of yourself.

Welcome mystery.

Of God.
Of life.
Of death.
Of eternity.

Go on a new spiritual journey.

A contemplative journey.
A listening journey.
A learning journey.
A journey into becoming love.

From here forward, Eternity is the limit.

Submit feedback and questions at www.walkhumble.com or email brandon@walkhumble.com.

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Support the show

Connect, read more, listen in, give feedback, or partner to support this podcast at WalkHumble.com.