Chara: The liberating Joy Of The Holy Ghost
What do you do when life hands you a lemon? What about a spoiled one? My answer is an all-time favorite quote: "Look "for" the bright side. There's always one."
We have all heard the saying, “When life hands you a lemon, you make a lemonade out of it. And many more like it: “Use the stones thrown at you to build your mansion.” Or “Turn stumbling blocks into stepping stones.” and so on.
And I ask in return, which could seem absurd but possible: what if it’s a spoilt lemon life handed you? What if the stumbling blocks and stones are not strong enough to build a house or carry your weight?
This could appear negative, but it helps us put our reactions to instances into perspective. How?
If you pay close attention to the addenda in those sayings, they all communicate one state of being: hopelessness. at such point, the essence of life is blurry, and doubt and anxiety begin to eat deep into our minds
A study1 profoundly explains the idea that productive and fulfilling life choices are all a product of a positive state of mind.
The Broaden-and-Build Theory: The study is anchored in the broaden-and-build theory, positing that positive emotions, such as joy, interest, hope, love, gratitude, amusement, and compassion, are not merely fleeting experiences. Instead, they act as catalysts for broadening individuals' thought-action repertoires over time. This broadening effect, in turn, leads to the accumulation of lasting resources that are fundamental to thriving in various life domains.
Self-confidence and ego-resilience are heightened whenever a person has a train of positive emotion at the time
But whenever a person reaches a sad or low point in life where the silver lining is lost in the sky, they develop weak knees. It could be a relatively slight case of unhappiness, disappointment, or rejection. And a mindset of incapability, impossibility, and unworthiness is registered.
It is at times like this that the broaden-and-build theory becomes effective, where mental strength built up during times of positive emotion is employed to deal with or manage negative circumstances.
Unfortunately, this is not always the case, and many times depression sets in and people find it difficult to focus on the positive. There’s an alarming rise in depression, which is taking a toll on the mortality rate. Pay attention to these statistics from a WHO report:2 3
About 3.8% of the global population experiences depression, affecting all age groups. Which is approximately 304, 000, 000 people worldwide.
Those aged 18 to 29 have the highest prevalence of depression at 21%, followed by those ages 45 to 64 at 18.4%, ages 65 and over at 18.4%, and ages 30 to 44 at 16.8%.
Depression affects more than 10% of pregnant women and those who have recently given birth.
Furthermore, depression is considered the leading cause of disabilities and a decrease in net productivity. 4
More than 700,000 people die due to suicide each year, making it a significant global public health concern.
Suicide ranks as the fourth leading cause of death among 15–29-year-olds.
Despite the existence of known and effective treatments for mental disorders, over 75% of people in low- and middle-income countries do not receive the necessary treatment.
The frequency of the following symptoms was used to probe a person who is suspected to be depressed:
Little interest or pleasure in doing things
Feeling down, depressed, or hopeless
Trouble falling or staying asleep, or sleeping too much
Feeling tired or having little energy
Poor appetite or overeating
Feeling bad about yourself, or that you are a failure, or that you have let yourself or your family down
Trouble concentrating on things, such as reading the newspaper or watching television
Moving or speaking so slowly that other people could have noticed? Or the opposite: being so fidgety or restless that you have been moving around a lot more than usual.
With the rise in the
negative influences of social media,
the alarming rate of insecurity in our community,
wars and clashes among countries,
dwindling economies and financial meltdown.
The rate of depression is projected to rise if proper attention is not given and the right steps are taken.
Depression is hereditary and if you live with persons who have suffered cases of depression, you are most likely to be depressed.
Thus, slowly but steadily depression is turning into a pandemic that requires a lot of attention.
Do not worry though. God’s got you
It is worthy of note that all of these have been prophesied long ago as the irrefutable signs of the end times. And the Bible is replete with guidance on how to navigate trying times and especially how to ride on them.
Just like any math problem, one thing that makes our Christian journey possible is that we have an example. And better than any math example, ours is a perfect one. Such that you can refer to and apply it in any situation.
For we do not have a High Priest who is unable to sympathize and understand our weaknesses and temptations, but One who has been tempted [knowing exactly how it feels to be human] in every respect as we are… Hebrews 4:15 Amplified Bible (AMP)
Jesus is that High Priest and the perfect reference point for every Christian.
Note that the verse said, who is unable to sympathize and understand our weaknesses and temptations, in a profound way this brings the life of Jesus to our reality. Because it is possible that most times when the Jesus story is being told or read, there is this superhero image we get. Sometimes it even looked like the Man didn’t have to sweat a day for anything. Like He didn’t face any setbacks, or disappointments or get served the proverbial breakfast.
For example, we know that Jesus experienced the pain of losing a loved one,
Jesus cried. John 11:35 New Century Version (NCV)
Or the disappointment He experienced with Peter and his friends. Having delivered them from tax collectors, intervened in their failing businesses, and healed their family members.
Better, He spent over three years in a blood-like relationship with them, teaching them, and telling them deep secrets. There is rarely any time in the bible where they came through for Him up to a millionth time he did for them, although He was never counting.
But the one time, the one time He needed them. when He was about to face the humiliating and painful death of crucifixion, He leaned on his disciples for support and prayers. Oh, how disappointed could He be to find them sleeping?
Taking along Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he plunged into an agonizing sorrow. Then he said, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me.” Matthew 26:36-38
Then he returned to the disciples and found them asleep. He said to Peter, “Couldn’t you watch with me even one hour? Matthew 26:40 New Living Translation (NLT)
So Jesus experienced letdowns too. He was even tempted by the devil, discouraged by the hospitality the same people he came to save gave him.
This is to make us understand that we are not exempt from bad situations or incidents that can lead to emotional breakdown or depression. We were even promised tough times in John 16:33, when Jesus said, “In the world, you will have tribulation.”
The message of Christianity is not a promise of a bed full of roses while we are yet on Earth. Tough incidents are meant to happen, but despite all the letdowns, losses, and disappointments, our Christ was never put down, and he was never depressed. He kept his joy. He still wanted to communicate that joy to everyone around Him.
I have told you these things so that My joy and delight may be in you and that your joy may be made full, complete, and overflowing. John 15:11, Amplified Bible (AMP)
So in conclusion to John 16:33, Jesus said in all trials you might come across,
“…Take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33, New International Version (NIV)
He is saying, Don’t worry, I’ve got you.
What is your response? Rejoice!
The word “rejoice” alone is too weak a translation. The Greek word means to exult or to be exuberant5
The joy being spoken of here is not just an action you carry out, it is a state of mind. It is not how you feel, it’s what you are - Joyful. Rejoicing is then the result of your state of mind. Whenever we think about our Father in Heaven who will never forsake us, we rejoice. our inheritance in Christ we rejoice, our guidance and friend the Holy Spirit, we rejoice. Such that at every point in time, we have an everlasting assurance that expels doubts and anxiety.
We are sealed with the Holy Ghost
As believers who have received the gift of the Holy Spirit who is the Spirit of joy, to whom we have been sealed at redemption. Our default state of being is then to be full of Joy, radiating POSITIVITY and OPTIMISM wrapped in GRATITUDE.
In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit(the source of unending joy). Ephesians 1:13 English Standard Version 2016 (ESV) emphasis mine
Not for once are we to go out of Joy unless we are denying the presence of the Holy Spirit.
Rejoice because you have the promise of salvation and hope of eternity
We have all heard wise sayings like this: Time is money, You waste your time, you waste your life. Life is the most valuable asset in life etc. All of these give meaning to the inestimable value of time, especially time here on Earth. Because after all time is the currency of life on Earth and how we manage time is the sum total of our life.
But as accurate as all these facts are, time is yet exhaustible but life itself isn’t. Time is limited, it starts and ends with a life span on Earth. Conversely, life on Earth is more like a phase in eternity which according to the Oxford Dictionary is a state to which time has no application. So when we exhaust time here on Earth, there is still more to life.
It is worthy of note that the outcome of our choice of use of time here is the determinant of the next phase of life - eternity. Therefore, there is not a more deceptive idea than the one that says that all there is to the life of a man is bound by time. Time is more like a vapour in eternity. So as believers, we live with eternity in view, we believe that we may have everlasting life.
“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 NLT
The contrast to eternal life in eternity is not eternal lifelessness per se but a life of eternal damnation and punishment. So both the wicked and good will resurrect after the temporal sleep of death here on Earth.
Having [the same] hope in God…that there shall certainly be a resurrection of [the dead], both of the righteous and of the wicked. Acts 24:15 Amplified Bible (AMP)
And we are bound to face judgment for our choices and deeds immediately after death,
Every human being is appointed to die once, and then to face God’s judgment. Hebrews 9:27 The Passion Translation (TPT)
What then is our hope of eternal life and not eternal damnation when we face the throne of judgement?
So now, those who are in Christ Jesus are not judged guilty. Romans 8:1 New Century Version (NCV)
For this reason, we are joyful and rejoice. We are assured in our salvation that even after all the toils of this present world are over, we have eternal rest awaiting us in paradise. We are not a hopeless bunch thriving just for the fleeting breath of life on Earth but for eternal enjoyment, for lack of a better word. We do not constantly persevere in life’s journey just to leave a legacy or a footprint in the sand of time like many great men have done. But for a more rewarding life, after the night of death comes.
So whether it is a life of disappointments, unending cares of life, pain, and struggles like Lazarus, Or even a life of fulfilment of goals, wealth, and influence like Father Abraham, we are confident in the fact that at the end of life, we will meet at the foot of the king of kings, resting in the blossom of our Lord. We rejoice that the end of our time here on Earth is not death but the starting of eternal fellowship with Jesus our Saviour. And for this singular reason above all others, we rejoice.
Rejoice because you have a father who never leaves you.
“Never! Can a mother forget her nursing child? Can she feel no love for the child she has borne? But even if that were possible, I would not forget you! Isaiah 49:15 New Living Translation (NLT)
A preacher said that God was trying to use the realities of ancient times, when it was an unthinkable thing to hear of a mother forsaking their child for whatever reason unattended. He further said that, had he been talking to this present generation, such an analogy might not carry weight.
There are countless reasons for a child to miss a father figure or be robbed of a mother in their upbringing and things are getting worst.
3 in every 10 children in Nigeria have no access to their biological father6 and those with access spend an average of 53 days per year with them7.
So it seems as though fathers are not the best caregivers or lovers. They are out of the game. And then God took a shot at mothers and said that no matter how loving a mother would be to her sulking child. He will love more.
He went ahead, and with more bizarre imagery for proof of the intensity, He said:
Indeed, I have inscribed (engraved) [a picture of] you on the palms of My hands… Isaiah 49:16 Amplified Bible (AMP)
The lack of a father figure can contribute to emotional challenges, potentially leading to issues such as low self-esteem, insecurity, and difficulty forming healthy relationships. Behavioural problems, including aggression, delinquency, and an increased likelihood of engaging in risky behaviours. May be associated with lower academic performance and a higher likelihood of school-related challenges, as fathers often play a role in academic motivation and support. May face difficulties in social development, struggling with social skills and interactions with peers due to the lack of a male role model. The absence of a father figure has been linked to an elevated risk of mental health issues, including depression and anxiety.
But you have an everlasting Father in God and once you become a family, you have the same benefits as all children with a “perfect father.”
But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. John 1:12 NLT.
So we rejoice in the fact that we have a better upbringing. Better than any Earthly fatherhood, we never get too old to be called His child.
Think of all the benefits your father can provide or a model father should provide. Think of a father who can do a million times more, that’s God the Father. As long as you’re with Him there is constant joy.
You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forevermore. Psalms 16:11 Amplified Bible (AMP)
Here are some advantages of joyfulness that’d interest you:
Joy is a scent of water. In dying situations, add joy.
7“At least there is hope for a tree: If it is cut down, it will sprout again, and its new shoots will not fail.
8 Its roots may grow old in the ground and its stump die in the soil,
9 yet at the scent of water it will bud and put forth shoots like a plant.
Joy invigorates life and substantiates hope.
Joy does as much good as the science of medicine.
A joyful, cheerful heart brings healing to both body and soul. But the one whose heart is crushed struggles with sickness and depression. Proverbs 17:22 The Passion Translation (TPT)
Cohn MA, Fredrickson BL, Brown SL, Mikels JA, Conway AM. Happiness unpacked: positive emotions increase life satisfaction by building resilience. Emotion. 2009 Jun;9(3):361-8. doi 10.1037/a0015952. PMID: 19485613; PMCID: PMC3126102.
Villarroel MA, Terlizzi EP. Symptoms of depression among adults: United States, 2019. NCHS Data Brief, no. 379. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics, 2020.
Lesson 50: What Makes Jesus Rejoice (Luke 10:17–24) | Bible.org (2018) Bible.org. https://bible.org/seriespage/lesson-50-what-makes-jesus-rejoice-luke-1017-24
“Why Paternity Fraud in Nigeria is Second Highest Globally” - THISDAYLIVE. (2018). Thisdaylive.com. https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2018/11/08/why-paternity-fraud-in-nigeria-is-second-highest-globally
Time U.S. children spend with their fathers, and what they do. (1999, June 10). University of Michigan News. https://news.umich.edu/time-u-s-children-spend-with-their-fathers-and-what-they-do/