28 May

Joy in the Journey

posted by Lisa Huddleston

“Restore the joy of Your salvation to me, and give me a willing spirit.” Psalm 51:12

It starts when we are very young. Someone, probably a mother or father, hears a young child plink plinking on the keys of a piano and decides it is time for him to take piano lessons. Before he knows what’s hit him, his newfound delight in music becomes homework. His passion is smothered in scales and thirty minutes of practice each day. His joy morphs into a world of rules and theory and hard work, and he nearly forgets what made him want to touch the keys in the first place. But, every now and then, he hears a new song that pulls at his heart … or his parents insist that he keep practicing … or his teacher stamps a star on his music book … and he keeps plodding on. Some children get their own way and quit altogether. Some gain a rudimentary knowledge and become able to plunk through their assignments with emotionless resolve. But, some, those who find the music worth the effort, develop the ability to make a melody that is all their own.

In some ways, the same can be said of our walk with Jesus Christ. When we first encounter Him, we delight in the discovery of His amazing love for us. We are carried away by the joy of knowing that He made us and wants a real relationship with us. It’s amazing and exciting; but, then comes the time of training. We get involved in a church, surround ourselves with others on the journey, and begin to learn about spiritual disciplines. If we are not very careful, our walk with Jesus can become just another long “to do” list: attend church three times a week, have a daily quiet time, tithe, memorize Scripture, etc. We become so driven by conquering the list that we forget about the passion and joy of our first love. Just like that poor little child who once delighted in music, our delight in the Lord can be turned into little more than a chore. We might even throw up our clumsy little hands and scream, “I quit! I’ll never get any better at this!” Yet, there are moments … glimpses of Him … that keep us striving on, reaching to Him for more, and willingly returning to our hours and days of practice.

Just think about it. How long could “Chop Sticks” really satisfy that young child’s urge to make music? He must inevitably grow and with maturity comes a deeper desire for more. Once discipline has done its work then real freedom can be experienced and appreciated. He can write melodies and improvise with harmonies. He can experience the full range of all that music has to offer because of the training he has received. Despite his complaints and the long dry seasons of practice, he sees that after the discipline of hard work come the renewal and deepening of joy.

This principle is also true of our journey with Jesus. If we willingly surrender to the disciplines He wants us to learn, we will become free to discover the joy of an ever deepening desire for and understanding of Him. The key is not to quit when the dry seasons come. They are the times of training, practicing the scales, so to speak. Just as piano lessons are ultimately about making music, not just learning rules and playing scales, spiritual disciplines are all about Jesus. Our walk with Him is not just another “to do” list. It is experiencing the moment, gaining what we can from each trial or test, and rejoicing in this day that the Lord has made.

A willing spirit and a restoration of joy … what’s standing in your way? Just give it up. It really is all about Jesus, and there really is joy in the journey with Him. Come on. You may be stuck on “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” today, but soon you will be playing “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring.”

Jesus, You are the Joy of the world. Thank You for reminding me that, even though there are seasons of discipline and just plain hard work, Your joy will come in the morning. Make me willing, Lord. In Your name, I pray. Amen.

Filed in: Discipleship, Journey