It's so good to be with you!
Laura Longville
As we walked toward one another, I could see her eyes twinkle with excitement, and she grinned from ear to ear. She let out a little squeal and wriggled like she was being tickled. “Oh my gosh, it is so good to see you!” said a friend of mine as we hugged tightly at the airport.
That is joy. Where the feeling is embodied and oozes everywhere. God feels this when he is with us. He is happy to be with you and me.
It’s hard to believe that the God of everything sees me and is delighted to be with me. Yes, I know the truth (in my head) that Jesus loves me, but it took a while to experience this truth. To FEEL loved by God, by a God who likes me and is glad to be with me.
Jim Wilder, a neuro theologian, says in his book, The Other Half of Church, “That our brains desire joy more than any other thing.” God designed our bodies and brain to be in relationship with ourselves, God, and others. This book is full of inspirational ideas about how people grow, how we are transformed by Christ, and how to live a “full-brained” Christian life. I would highly recommend reading this book in community and discussing the Scripture and science of how we are formed spiritually and relationally. This book that points to Jesus will transform you.
Joy and the Face of Christ
If you read through the Bible looking for joy, it’s everywhere. We know the obvious Scriptures about joy:
John 15:11 …. that your joy may be complete,
Acts 13:52 …. filled with the joy and with the Holy Spirit and
Philemon 1:7, your love has given me great joy.
“God’s face is connected to joy”
In addition, the face of Jesus transforms us. God’s face is connected to joy. There are three pertinent ideas about joy and how our brains are designed.
1. Joy is relational. God designed our body, brain, and spirit to be in relationship with him and others. It is what we feel when we are with others who are glad to be with us. Joy does not exist outside of relationship.
2. Joy is transmitted primarily through the face. “God designed facial recognition circuitry into our brains and linked it to our joy centers,” Jim Wilder shares. When I see my new grandbaby, my face lights up with joy that initiates a chain reaction in my brain that I can feel in my body.
Have you ever thought about what God’s face looks like as he looks at you? Here are a few verses that will inspire you.
· May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you. Numbers 6: 25
· Now you’ve got my feet on the life path, all radiant from the shining of your face. Psalm 16:11a
· To give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ. 2 Cor 4: 6b
· Blessed are the people who know the joyful sound! Lord, they walk in the light of Your face. Psalm 89:15
How to apply this to you.
Take a moment to quiet and still yourself. Be with God; imagine Him with you. How do you feel when God smiles at you? Where in your body do you feel His radiance as His face shines on you? What do you notice on Christ’s face as he gives you the light of knowledge? Lastly, how does your body feel as you walk in the light?
Spend time noticing God’s face and how this transforms you. Become aware of how God experiences you as you experience him. Being with these verses, along with an increased awareness of God’s countenance, deepens your attachment to God. It becomes a mutual exchange of love and joy. This exchange of joy is a shared gift, a loving connection that changes us from the inside out.
3. Joy is important to God and us. “Joy is a visceral response to our relationship with God. Remember the response when pregnant Mary visited her cousin, “When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.” Luke 1:41. Our whole bodies respond when we encounter the living God”, shares coauthor Michel Hendricks, The Other Half of Church.
Joy does not negate other unpleasant emotions; instead, it combines with emotions to keep us relationally connected in pain. For example, when my mother died, I felt sadness. When I felt the strong grief, I simultaneously felt that God was with me, thus adding joy and comfort. (The definition of joy is the feeling of, I am glad to be with you!) God was glad to be with me in my sorrow. I had friends who wanted to be with me in the months to come, as I grieved. Joy is relational in its essence. It’s important to God, and we can be with one another (in joy) in the hard stuff too.
How to build joy in your life
There are many ways to build joy found in The Other Half of Church. One practice that is my favorite is keeping a Joy Journal. My guess is that you’ve kept a journal like this one, except this practice grounds the joy deep within your soul that leaves lasting transformation. Don’t miss out on learning this practice. Click here, and I’ll walk you through the process. We can share in our joy together!
As you consider God’s face shining upon you with joy and remember those special moments of joy in your life, may you be transformed from the inside out. May you feel deep within your soul that God is happy to be with you. May you also bring joy to others!