“Of his thirteen books, inspired by the breath of God, Paul wrote one that turned out to be a treatise on joy. . . . Here’s the kicker: The number one book on joy in the Bible was written by a guy in prison! You heard that right — prison. Paul taught us that joy is not dependent on our circumstances but is available to us in full despite our circumstances.”- Randy Frazee
“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”- 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NIV)
In his Introduction to The Joy Challenge: Discovering the Ancient Secret to Worry-Defying, Circumstance-Defying Happiness, Randy Frazee notes that so many people struggle to grab hold of and hang on to joy and happiness. What are we missing?
Consequently, a Finnish author surveyed people from all over the world. He asked them to imagine a ladder with steps numbered from zero to 10. The top number (10) represents your best possible life. The smaller the differential between the rung you’re standing on (actual life) and the rung that stands for your highest expectations, the happier you are.
Next, Randy takes a look at something called the law of Jante. This Nordic code of conduct encourages a collective unity while discouraging individualism. Certainly, unity over individualism can be a good thing. However, this code of conduct also tends to lower a what a person expects for the best possible life.
Hardly, Randy observes, the secret sauce of joy and happiness. Unlike people in Nordic countries, we in the United States tend not to suffer from extreme deprivation and the low expectations that go along with it. Yet, a deep chasm often exists between our current status and expectations.
As a result, in the United States we see colossal levels of disappointment, depression, and anxiety. So, the road to a happy life doesn’t run through America either. Because we raise our expectations to crazy levels. Then we spend our time chasing the elusive “carrot on a stick.”
Thus, we need to work through the apostle Paul’s treatise on joy.
Today’s question: How willing are you to explore Paul’s treatise on joy? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “Joy robbers versus Paul”
