Thought for Today

Psalm 5:11 But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, so that those who love your name may exult in you.  

Isaiah 12:3 With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. 4 And you will say in that day: Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known his deeds among the nations; proclaim that his name is exalted.

Luke 2:10 But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for see-- I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people  

Matthew 25:21 His master said to him, 'Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.'

In February, I wrote, “I believe my default is joy . . . but, there are those days when I wonder.” I thought about that yesterday during that committee meeting of which I wrote yesterday. At one point during the discussion, one of the committee members mentioned that my joy in my second career was evident as I talked about it. I must admit that joy is one of my favorite theological words and topics. Admittedly, joy is not exclusive to faith, theology or any other single aspect of our lives. Joy is where we find it in our lives.

Where do you find your joy in life? Some find joy in their work. Some find joy in their hobbies and leisure activities. There are a plethora of things which bring folks joy. I have even known those who find joy in housework, lawn mowing and other tasks some of us find arduous. Hopefully everyone has some aspect of life to bring them joy.

I cannot help but wonder whether the joy I find in my own life is what the French refer to as joie de vivre. “Joie de vivre . . .  French: [ʒwa d(ə) vivʁ]; 'joy of living' is a French phrase often used in English to express a cheerful enjoyment of life, an exultation of spirit, and general happiness.” (en.wikipedia.org) I do consider that my ‘default’ setting. I honestly, truly do enjoy life. I acknowledge that at certain times and in certain situations, there is little joy to be found. Many of us have known loss. Loss of a loved one, loss of a friend, loss of a job or career. Loss seems antithetical to joy.

The Parable of the Talents has long been one of my favorite parables. In the Bible, the word talent is used for a monetary unit, “τάλαντον, ου, τό talent; (1) as a measure of weight varying in size from 28 to 36 kilograms, or 60 to 80 sixteen-ounce pounds, equivalent to 3,000 Hebrew shekels; (2) as a large unit of money varying in value with the metal involved, whether gold, silver, or copper, it is possible to translate variously as millions, thousands, or hundreds (of dollars, francs, pesos, etc.)” (Friberg, Analytical Greek Lexicon)

Unless you are Scrooge McDuck or Ebenezer Scrooge, money itself probably doesn’t bring you joy so much as you find joy in the things the money will buy. Interestingly, I do not believe that Parable of the Talents does not have to be understood in monetary terms. That may be because I have never been monetarily rich, but I suspect it has more to do with the use of the word talent in English to represent natural aptitudes or skills. Of course, I cannot claim to be rich in natural aptitudes or skills; however, I do have certain God-given, natural skills. And, additionally, I have some skills developed and honed over the years, some from work and some from life experiences.

My baccalaureate brought me certain applications for my natural skills in mathematics. My first career honed my skills in planning and scheduling, in organization and leadership and in making presentations. While I did enjoy that baccalaureate and that first career, I never thought of them as bringing me joie de vivre. I did immensely enjoy what the money I earned provided for me and for my family.

When I first sensed God calling me to ministry, in a very real sense I felt like one of those slaves (or servants) in the Parable of the Talents, “Matthew 25:15 to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability.” I was born with certain aptitudes and skills. Over my lifetime up to that point, God had provided me with opportunities to hone those skills. Now, I was being called upon to invest those talents in God’s service.

Every time I think about my second career, my service as a shepherd to God’s flock, I think about that verse above from Matthew and the reward both of the “good and trustworthy” slaves received. I find that for me, “the joy of my master” is what I am receiving in God’s service. Where do you find your joy?

Stay safe, find joy in serving God, trust God,

Pastor Ray