Joy and Peace

I’ve been experiencing joy and peace even in the midst of change and very humid weather. They can seem opposite to each other. Joy I usually associate with energy and laughter that spills out of us even in the midst of challenges. Peace I tend to think of as quiet and stillness that draws us to something deep within despite turmoil around us. I have paired them up for this Sunday.

We read in Romans 15:13 - May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Where in Advent we separate these two fruit of the Spirit, here they are together and related to hope. These are three powerful words used many times in the Bible and next in importance only to love, the one that binds everything else together.

I can’t say that I often experience joy and peace at the same time, though often they complement each other. A special moment fills me with joy, and the recognition that the joy came through God gives me peace as I’m reminded of God’s presence. Or, the opposite can be true - I feel God’s peace, and the comfort and reassurance of it translates into my feeling joy. I don’t know about you, but in these days of wildfires, repealing of human rights, deadly crashes and violence and other troubling news, when I can encounter joy or peace I try to hold on tight to it.

Sometimes joy can seem so fleeting, like a firefly on a hot summer night. It’s not something we can bottle and save for later or hold in our cupped hands to stay lit for as long as we want. Joy for me is more often like a dessert that’s gobbled down fast because it’s so good rather than a leisurely experience. But perhaps because joy can be like the magic of a darting firefly in the darkness we treasure it even more. It’s not a given, it’s not always felt, and so when it turns up we know it’s special and to pay attention and celebrate it. When we experience it with a group of people the feeling multiplies. The joy of the Lord is our strength, scripture tells us, and perhaps I need to become more disciplined in choosing to rejoice in God rather than waiting for joy to surface.

Peace can be fleeting as well. So many things cause us anxiety, anger, stress and despair. Just when we think we’re juggling all of the balls well something else comes along to unbalance us. And those rare times that we are juggling really well, it often takes all our energy just to keep those balls moving in perfect timing so not one of them is dropped. Peace requires of us to stop or at least slow down significantly. It asks of us to not look outside but inside, and to notice the Spirit’s movement and calming presence. Peace reminds us that our interior life is as important, if not more important, than our external life. Peace connects us to the gentle ebb and flow of the pulse of God in our lives. Like joy, it’s something we can actively seek out and choose rather than waiting for it to come to us.

If we aren’t aware and in expectation that joy and peace will show up then we can easily miss out on them. They restore us and remind us of God’s love. They say to us that God still shows up for us in ways that clear out cynicism and despair. They can feel intensely personal and tailored to us. Often we experience them in different ways and at different times from others.

Romans 15:13 asks God to give us all joy and peace as we trust in God. In this we find hope and an overflow of the Holy Spirit that gives us power. The steps are pretty clear - trust in God to receive God’s hope found in joy and peace and the Holy Spirit’s overflowing power.

If we’re looking for more joy and peace then the question becomes - are we trusting in God? If we trust and look for God to show up then we are far more likely to notice when the divine has scheduled an encounter with us. Do we trust God to not overwhelm us but to gift us uniquely and wonderfully so that our lives have purpose? Are we afraid of what having God’s power would look like for us? This brings us back to the question of whether or not we fundamentally trust in God.

Some of my favourite people have loud and infectious laughs that tell me they are filled with joy. Others of my favourite people have the knack of drawing from powerful wisdom and presence and sitting still being bathed in God’s peace. I would love to be more like all of them, allowing God to fill me with joy and peace so that it overflows me and blesses others. May it be so by God’s grace.

What’s holding you back from experiencing joy and peace?