Finding True Joy in a World of Broken Promises

Joy eludes even the greatest achievers in our world. Tom Brady, after winning his third Super Bowl ring, questioned if there was something more to life. Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympian ever, fell into depression after each Olympics. Scotty Scheffler, the world's number one golfer, admitted that winning only brings a fleeting euphoria that lasts "about two minutes."

These elite athletes, worth hundreds of millions of dollars and at the pinnacle of fame and success, have discovered that reaching "GOAT" status doesn't satisfy the heart. The euphoric buzz after a win quickly fades, leaving no sustaining happiness in the soul.

The Five Joy Myths the World Sells Us

The world promotes several myths about joy that the Apostle Paul debunks in 2 Corinthians 6:1-10:

• Joy is found in fame and wealth
• Joy grows best in a life of ease
• Joy is found in financial security
• Giving joy requires material wealth first
• Joy is an achievement or possession that you hold

Instead of learning happiness from the "GOATs" (Greatest Of All Time), we should learn the secret of joy from those who suffer yet remain joyful.

Paul's Urgent Call to Grace

In 2 Corinthians 6:1-2, Paul makes an urgent appeal: "Working together with him, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. For he says, 'In a favorable time I listened to you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you.' Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation."

Paul is building a case for why we should receive God's grace right now, today. He urges us to stop delaying, stop playing with grace, and stop half-heartedness. And to prove that this grace is legitimate, he offers his own life as evidence.

What Did Paul's Life of Suffering Look Like?

If anyone was unqualified for joy, it was the Apostle Paul. His life was marked by:

• Constant physical dangers
• Beatings and imprisonments
• Crowd riots threatening his life
• A body scarred by at least five instances of 39 lashes and three beatings with rods
• Life under constant threat
• Sleepless nights and hunger
• Emotional burdens of caring for churches
• Ridicule, slander, and misrepresentation
• Being treated as an imposter
• Facing both honor and dishonor, praise and scorn

Yet in this context of suffering, Paul plants his secret to joy. In a world of sadness and evil brutality, he discovered something profound.

How Does Paul Claim Infinite Worth with Zero Equity?

In 2 Corinthians 6:10, Paul makes this remarkable statement: "as having nothing, yet possessing everything." How could someone with no retirement, no 401k, no mailing address, and a life of hardship claim to possess everything?

The secret: Paul didn't need worldly assets or equity because he had a spiritual inheritance already secured for him. He had "unsearchable riches" in Christ, "in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge."

In Philippians 4:11-12, Paul reveals this secret more explicitly: "I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content... I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need." What's the secret? "I can do all things through him who strengthens me." Christ is Paul's strength and the source of his contentment.

How Does Paul Disburse Wealth as a Broke Man?

Paul describes himself as "poor, yet making many rich" (2 Corinthians 6:10). This is the economic paradox of Christian ministry - outward poverty becomes the means of bestowing profound spiritual wealth.

The medium is the message. The medium to share the message of a suffering Christ is preached through the lips of a suffering apostle. This is why prosperity gospel preachers are frauds - you don't preach the gospel coming off your private jet.

Paul explains this paradox in 2 Corinthians 8:9: "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich." Christ is the secret to true wealth, and He is the secret everyone needs to hear about.

How Does Paul Find Joy Inside His Suffering?

Perhaps the most profound statement is Paul's description of himself as "sorrowful, yet always rejoicing" (2 Corinthians 6:10). These five words have sustained millions of Christians in their darkest moments.

For Paul, apathy was never an option. He didn't shut down his affections or flash-freeze his heart so it wouldn't feel anything. Instead, he discovered that an outward life of physical affliction can coexist with an undying internal joy in Christ.

17th-century poet and preacher John Donne identified three levels of joy in suffering:

• A half joy used to cauterize the pain - worldly joy that merely deadens the pain using substances or entertainment
• A fuller joy to sustain us through the pain - a deep, settled affection that comes alongside us in our suffering
• A new joy that comes only by being planted in the pain - the highest attainment of joy in the Christian life

This third level is not rejoicing although we are afflicted, but rejoicing because we are afflicted. It's a joy that lifts us up, turns our valley into a hill, and brings God and us closer than ever could have been without that suffering.

How Suffering Prepares Us for Deeper Joy

The Puritans understood that suffering prepares the heart for deeper joy in several ways:

• Suffering prepares the heart’s joy by clearing the mind of daily distractions
• Suffering prepares the soul’s joy by purging worldly loves
• Suffering enlarges the heart to discern God’s fatherly love in the affliction
• Suffering softens the heart for joy, breaking the soil to receive more of Christ
• Suffering enlarges the soul, opening it to treasure Christ more fully
• Suffering stirs self-examination to purge sin to make room for more of Christ
• Suffering positions the heart for deeper fellowship with the suffering Savior
• Suffering prepares our spirit to receive greater consolations of the Holy Spirit

The Role of Pastors as Joy Coaches

Why do we have pastors? Because we are joy seekers who find every possible way to wander off the path and get lost. We're prone to buy into the world's lies about joy every week.

Pastors are not the authors of our joy; they are the helpers to our joy. As Paul says in 2 Corinthians 1:24, "We work with you for your joy." Pastors are joy coaches, helping us stay focused on Christ, our precious secret.

Joni Eareckson Tada: A Modern Example of Joy in Suffering

Joni Eareckson Tada became a quadriplegic at age 17 after a diving accident. Initially overcome by desperation, hopelessness, fear, terror, anger, and rage, she decided to "choke the life out of every affection and joy and hope and dream she had ever experienced."

But God intervened. Today, Joni is known for her smile and her joy. She explains her secret in this specific message to Trinity Bible Church:

"If I want to know Jesus intimately and possess His life-sustaining joy, it will mean sharing in His sufferings and becoming like Him in His death... When I feel the crunch of affliction, I flee down that road and cry for help, flinging myself on my Jesus. In Him I experience the wonderful and terrible blend of joy and sorrow described in 2 Corinthians 6:10."

She continues: "There is always pain. But in my happiest moments, I hear a voice say, 'Joni, be grateful. This delightful moment was blood-bought for you by your Savior.' I would never wish this sweet agony away."

Application

Paul is pleading with each of us: No matter the pain in your life or how deep the impact of evil you see in this broken world, now is the day to close with Christ, to believe in Him, to treasure Him above all things.

The secret to joy isn't found in achievements, possessions, or a life of ease. It's found in Christ alone, even - and sometimes especially - in the midst of suffering.

Ask yourself these questions this week:

• Where am I seeking joy in the wrong places? Am I chasing the world's joy myths?
• How might my current struggles be preparing my heart for deeper joy in Christ?
• Am I willing to embrace suffering as a pathway to knowing Christ more intimately?
• What would it look like for me to be "sorrowful, yet always rejoicing" in my current circumstances?

Today is the day of salvation. Today is the day to learn the secret of joy from the suffering, rejoicing Paul.