A Plea For Joy

After Jesus had been talking to his disciples of the necessity of their abiding in him. — living close to his teachings and keeping the commandments he had given them, even as he had kept the Father’s commandments, — he went on to say, “These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.” When he thus referred to joy, he touched upon one of the most important factors in successful work of any kind, and manifestly of that which pertains to spiritual accomplishment. Without the element of joy any work would finally become spiritless, wearisome, unsuccessful. Joyless work always lacks spontaneity of right activity, and must finally die of its own inanition.

Now, true joy is a spiritual quality, and touches the heart to ever greater appreciation of spiritual good. It begins its blessings very early in the effort of Christian Scientists to keep the commandments. No least endeavor to obey but has its just proportion of joy, since nothing so fills the honest heart with peace and pure satisfaction as does the consciousness of rightly obeying. A wise writer once said, “When we speak of joy it is not something we are after, but something that will come to us when we are after God and duty.” So joy is always a reward. It never comes unearned. To be truly joyful one’s heart must be clean and pure, must be seeking for the things which really satisfy. And what can satisfy but the recognition and demonstration in some degree at least of one’s unity with God, divine good? No understanding of real good but brings the light of joy with it.

While this is all true, joy at the same time must be cherished very diligently or it will seem to fly away. It cannot abide with ingratitude. To be unconscious of good would mean to be joyless; therefore, recognition of and gratitude for God’s gifts must precede the consciousness of true joy. One must also be awake to its presence as a spiritual fact, or it will seem to disappear. In other words, like all spiritual qualities it must be loved and appreciated, or one will not be aware of its presence. Joy is also a childlike quality. Who has not been charmed with the spontaneous joyfulness of little children? And why do we so often find in them this lovely gladness? Is it not because of their freedom from anxious thinking, from false responsibility; and, above all, because of the absence of sordid selfishness? Like other spiritual good, joy’s greatest enemy is selfishness.

Isaiah tells us that “with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.” Our beloved Leader talks much of joy in her writings. In “Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures” (p. 265) she says that “joy is spiritual;” but nowhere has she placed it in holier company than when she gave us that wonderful line in her Poems (p. 4), so familiar to every Christian Scientist: “O gentle presence, peace and joy and power.” How often have we found those few words a veritable well of salvation! Those who have tasted ever so lightly of “the water of life” contained in the unfolding consciousness of divine Love’s gentle presence, peace, and power know how surely joy is always there — that joy which is as deep as the sea and as high and broad as the sky; in other words, that joy which has not only undisturbed calm but the greatest light and freedom and brightness. Of all this we have caught occasional glimpses.

But there is another place where we are not so quick to encourage the presence of joy. When James tells us, “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations,” ah, then we say, How can I be joyful? Indeed, the tendency under such circumstances is often even to resent the very mention of joy! When temptations seem to cluster thickly around one, it seems like mockery even to consider the possibility of joy; and still James goes on to tell us why we should be joyful under temptation. He says: “The trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.” And this perfection is to come when we “count it all joy” to be assailed with manifold temptations.

Surely the reward is worth the effort. Surely we can afford obediently to rejoice “with exceeding joy,” however deep may seem the experiences, since we know that to be joyful in the midst of them, — by praising God that we are going through them, — this is what will encourage and sustain us until perfection is attained. Then it is under temptation that joy becomes our great helper; for it carries us over every obstacle, leads us triumphantly through every quagmire, and encourages us to press steadily forward in spite of every hindrance until victory is won.