God seems like a cosmic killjoy; is He?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

God created us to experience and enjoy His creation but mainly to find our joy in Him (Psalm 16:11; Nehemiah 8;11; Philippians 4:4)). When Adam and Eve rebelled against God (Genesis 3), humanity became inherently sinful. Sin may feel satisfying while we’re engaged in it, but it separates us from God and leads to pain. That is, there are natural consequences for unrighteousness, no matter how much we enjoy it for a moment. Ultimately, if we do not turn and repent of our sin, those “joys” of sin end with eternal torment.

So, far from being a “killjoy,” God teaches us how to live to get the most joy out of this life and our eternal life thereafter (John 10:10). He desires that all repent (2 Peter 3:9) and live in a way that pleases Him. When we start to obey Him, which begins by repenting of our sin and trusting in His Son, we also start to desire what He desires. The result is that He gives us great delight now and eternally.

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• Psalm 37:4 says, “Delight yourself in the LORD; and He will give you the desires of your heart.” True joy is found in delighting in our Creator. As we delight in Him by doing what is righteous, our desires will align with His.

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• While unbelievers might find temporary joy in sinful pleasures, they are awaiting eternal torment in the lake of fire (Revelation 20:11–15). There is no temporary joy in this life that is worth that eternal pain. God kills temporary, sinful joy because He desires all men to repent and not be eternally damned (2 Peter 3:9).
• Our current life is more abundant with Jesus. Jesus said, “I came that [believers] may have life, and have it abundantly” (John 10:10). While the world tells us to “grab the gusto,” often by engaging in sinful activities, Jesus offers us eternal life and the joy of abiding in Him during our sojourn on Earth.
• True joy is the result of the Holy Spirit abiding in believers. Galatians 5:22-23 lists “the fruit of the Spirit as “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” Everything we need for joy, peace, and happiness comes from God; He doesn’t prevent it.
• Jesus said that the primary source of our joy is obedience, which is our way of showing our love for God and others. He said, “If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full” (John 15:10–11). Far from being a “killjoy,” God is joy.
• One misunderstanding about joy is that everything must be going our way for us to experience it. However, James taught, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness” (James 1:2-3). Rather than joy being defined by temporary physical pleasures, it is something that we have, in Jesus, even during trials.

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

Though we rebelled against God, He has given us joy upon joy. Even unbelievers enjoy the beauty of nature, good meals, relaxing movie nights, lots of friends, and plenty of laughter. God created us to know His joy and He allows even His enemies to taste it. Unfortunately, we constantly misuse the pleasures He gives us. When believers sin, God disciplines us, not because He is a “killjoy” but because He has our eternal good in mind. We think short-term, but He thinks eternally. Unbelievers’ guilt is God’s warning that the temporary “joy” of sin leads to eternal death. It’s an opportunity to turn from sin and toward God.

God created us to find your joy in Him. His boundaries are not to kill our joy, but to protect from the harm of sin. In short—sin is not the joy many think it is. Finding joy in Jesus provides full, abundant, and eternal joy (John 15:11; 10:10; and 3:16).

UNDERSTAND

• We were made to experience the joy that comes from relationship with God.
• Sin may seem attractive in the short-term, but it leads to long-term harm.
• Far from being a cosmic killjoy, God wants us to experience the fullness of joy in Him.

REFLECT

• What joys do you experience as a child of God?
• When you sin, how does the initial feeling contrast with the aftermath?
• How do you maintain joy in the Lord even during trials?

ENGAGE

• What are some we can give to those who resent God for putting parameters around our behavior?
• How can we explain to unbelievers the joy to be found in following Christ?
• How can we describe the temporal versus eternal perspectives of believers?