Choosing Joy: The Hard Right // In Rest

Ever pondered why 'choose joy' feels like a vacuous, Instagram slogan rather than a life-changing mantra? Join us as we navigate the sincere essence of choosing joy. Ditching the cliché, we dissect what it genuinely means to choose joy, going beyond fleeting happiness to discover a wellspring of strength, resilience, and integrity. We touch on the constraints of individualism, drawing from the book of Nehemiah, and how it impacts our journey to embody joy in our daily lives. 

Surviving isn't just about gritting our teeth and pushing through, it's about finding joy in the midst of the storm. Amidst the trials of life, we can anchor ourselves in the solid truth that God's intention for us is good. With Noah, we explore how to bravely say 'yes' to God's plans, even when it seems like the hardest choice. 

Remember, Jesus loves you, life is worth living, and your joy is yours to find, choose, and live.

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Transcript

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Choosing Joy

Noah James Wiebe 0:07

This is the question why is it so difficult to choose joy ? Today , on the In Rest podcast with Noah James Wiebe , we are going to be talking about why is it so difficult to choose joy ? Well , the question isn't something that complicated . I mean , why is it so difficult to get out of bed in the morning ? Why is it so difficult to do the right thing when you know that that's the best thing to do , even if it's the most inconvenient thing to do ? Well , choosing joy is one of these , almost a trendy thing in our society today . We get this concept that you know we should just muscle through whatever difficulty that we're experiencing and expect that on the other side of that muscling through , we're going to find the satisfaction and the fulfillment for life that we need .

Noah James Wiebe 0:52

Choosing joy is great , the idea of choosing joy is great , but it's almost become meaningless . The idea of choosing joy like it's something that's cute . I mean CS Lewis talked about cuteness by , you know , sort of presenting . Actually , no , it wasn't cute , it wasn't to CS Lewis , it was Dallas Willard . Dallas Willard , in his book Divine Conspiracy , talked about the issue with US society and I mean North American society by extension by talking about the fact that sometimes we like things that are cute over things that are actually meaningful and significant . So one of the problems with choose joy is that it's become something that's meaningless and cute . And when we get into cuteness , and I mean like there are things that are cute , that's good . You know , there's research that tells us that looking at pictures of cute dogs or cute babies actually helps us be more productive , for whatever reason . But the idea of having choose joy , this cute little phrase , actually dictate how you live your life . That's , it's weird , it's odd , and the breadth and the depth and the meaning of choosing joy has kind of lost its edge because of this constant misuse of the term of the phrase choosing joy .

Noah James Wiebe 2:03

Choosing joy is not really about the cute , trendy way that we talk about it on social media . Choosing joy is actually gritty . It revolve . It involves being resilient . It involves having integrity of our actions with our beliefs . It involves having an integrated life in which the things that we value are things that we consistently think about and things that we consistently live out in our day to day life .

Noah James Wiebe 2:32

One of the issues that we have as a society is that we are individualistic . We think about ourselves all the time , and one of the problems with that is that we never really put ourselves to the test in community and in accountability , in which our values and the integration of those values into our day to day life is not really tested , it's not really given its strength . I mean , the Bible says in the book of Proverbs as Iron sharpens iron , so one person sharpens another . If we're avoiding being together with others , humbling ourselves and saying hey , like I'm actually crazy here , like give me some insight , we actually limit our ability to live the life that we need to live . We limit ourselves from growing and becoming all the God who wants us to be , because we prefer to evaluate life on our own terms and that cuteness actually kind of reinforces that idea . You know , it says all well , choosing joy is really just a meaningless thing . I'm gonna do life my own way and there are some people who really hold on to that phrase , even if it is cute to them that they just take it on and they run with it . But today we're not talking about choosing joy from the perspective of a trendy social media phrase . We're talking about choosing joy from a truce place of resilience to true place of strength .

Noah James Wiebe 3:41

The Bible tells us in the book of Nehemiah that the joy of the Lord is your Strength . But the contrast that the book of Nehemiah presents in that moment is not joy versus depression , is joy versus grief . Specifically , the people are hearing in the context in Nehemiah , chapter 6 , the people are hearing about the book of the law , so they're hearing about all the ways that they are not living the way that God intends for them to live . They experience this deep level of cognitive dissonance which contributes to their sense of grief , the sense of deep loss , because they haven't , you know , they haven't really lived out the life as a community that they know they're supposed to . And so they begin grieving and wailing and crying in the Nehemiah and the other leaders are saying no , no , no , don't grieve , don't grieve , don't weep , don't go to this place , don't give in to the sense of loss that comes from this dissonance . Instead , remember the joy of the Lord is your strength . They feel like a city broken in . They feel like a city whose walls have been destroyed . They feel like they have been ruined Inside of themselves because they know that . They know it . They feel the sense of loss Because they've let all kinds of other things in and let all kinds of other things influence them instead of looking the way that God Wants them to live , and so they grieve it . But Nehemiah and the other leaders encourage them no , no , no , don't grieve , because the joy of the Lord is your strength .

Noah James Wiebe 5:08

And so for you and me to choosing joy is not so much about Choosing to be happy and smiling when we don't feel like it . Choosing joy is about choosing a life of lived strength , rather than giving in to grief and letting it have the final word on our life . There's a contrast , there's a sense of tension here , with a fully , wholeheartedly addressing grief and addressing cognitive dissonance in our life and yet , at the same time , not Giving in to the message that it portrays to us that death is all there is and there's no sense in trying again because we've failed so many times . Choosing joy is about remembering that . No , no , it's not that we do this , that and the other thing to have Success and fulfillment , but rather we choose to live into the joy that is available from the Lord so that we can have strength now , the strength that the Nehemiah talks about in you know that that verse is not a strength that is consistent with picking things up and putting them down or fighting in a box Match and winning against a competitor . Rather , it's the opposite it's actually being that person on the defensive end and having fortitude to stand the test . Being able to have a joy is the difference between caving in when things are difficult and and living the life that God has for us instead of falling to those things . So choosing joy is about choosing fortitude . It's about choosing strength , the strength that can withstand and endure difficulty

Choosing Joy in Difficult Circumstances

Noah James Wiebe 6:35

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Noah James Wiebe 6:35

Now , I don't know about you , but I do not always have that kind of joy . I don't have that kind of lived into joy in which I operate from a place of satisfaction and contentment . I mean the apostle Paul , who wrote the book of Philippians , one of the most joyful books in the New Testament . He himself not only said rejoice in the Lord . Always , again , I say rejoice . He also later said I have learned the secret of being content in any circumstance , whether in plenty or in hunger , whether in this or that or the other thing , you know , whatever it is .

Noah James Wiebe 7:06

He's like no , no , no , I can do all of these things through Christ , truth strengthens me . What is he really saying ? He's saying no , no , no . Not that he has the power of the offensive , but he has the power of the defensive . He has the fortitude to last when things are really , really comfortable and they threaten his faith . Because I don't know about you , but if there's anything that I've learned about the Christian life is not that difficulties come against my faith , it's that a life of too much comfort is a danger to my faith . That's one thing to wrap your head around . But whether it's in difficulty or in comfort , whether it's in grief upon grief or in joy upon joy , paul's like no , no , no , I can get through all that through Christ . I can live the life that God has for me through Christ , who strengthens me . See that connection between the joy of the Lord and our strength , right ? So ? So , okay , hold on . No , you haven't really answered the question . Why is it hard to choose this ? Well , because choosing this means that you have to have a level of internal grit to say yes to God and his will and his interests in the world , even when it's the most difficult choice to make .

Noah James Wiebe 8:10

Like I said , joy is not just about choosing to smile when it's difficult or when we feel like it . Choosing joy is about living the life that we're called to with with an attitude of of gratefulness and attitude of encouragement and attitude of of hopefulness , despite everything that's going on , and not just despite , but because of the truth of God's presence in all of those things . The Bible tells us again another Paul quote no , we are more than conquerors in all of these things , through him who loved us . So if we are more than conquerors , if we have this choice available to us , then what happens really is not the choice between joy and sadness . It's the choice between strength and loss . Is a , joy is a is the choice between life and death . It's the choice between rolling over in to die or getting back up , even when it's the most difficult choice to make .

Noah James Wiebe 9:09

Choosing joy is hard because living is hard In . The rest is all about helping you live the life that you've been called to live , living as God intended you to live , living your best in Christ , and that's hard . It's one thing to know you have depression , to know you're struggling with anxiety , to know you're dealing with all those things . Whole other thing to believe with all of your heart that you are a conqueror in all of that , through him who loved you . It's a whole other thing to get up out of bed , not because I have to , but because no , no , no . I must because this is a life that God has given me . I must because ther e are people th at are depending on me t . I must because God has made it possible for me to get up , and it is an insult and a spit in his face for me to refuse a life he's called me to live and rolling over and surrender to death . Rather I should . I should surrender in death to self and say no , no , no .

Noah James Wiebe 10:07

I don't care how difficult it is going to be , I don't care how many failures it's going to take , I don't care how much effort it's going to be on my part . I'm going to get up . I'm going to spend time with that friend . I'm going to be honest and confess my sins . I'm going to show up , and I'm going to show up in a way that's present even when I , even when nothing in me has the strength to do it . I'm going to be the best mom that I can be . I'm going to be the best dad that I can be . I'm going to be the best spouse that I can be . No , not because it's the easiest thing and not because my kids are spouse deserving , but because this is the life that God wants me to live and that my friend is tapping into . Joy that is choosing joy , because joy happens when we A obey , obey , and joy happens when we tap into the life of Christ . We tap into the kind of life that he lived , and he lived a kind of life of resilience . He lived the kind of life that depended on his father's strength and not on his own . He lived a life of constant willingness to surrender to God's purpose for his life . Submit to God's will , even when God's will involved difficulty .

Noah James Wiebe 11:12

When I was going through some of the most difficult seasons of depression I had ever suffered as a teenager , one of the things that I had to hold on to through the difficulties I was experiencing the toxic relationships I was still experiencing , the negative self-talk and the suicidal ideation I was struggling with . The thing that kept me going was believing , as a 16 year old , that no , god wants to restore me . God is going to restore me and I can get up today with gratitude because , in my present moment , god has given me the strength to stand and to go through the difficulties I'm feeling and he's given me a future to look forward to , and that's what kept me going . That's what was so life-saving to me , this truth from God's word that his intention for me was good , that his heart for me was good and that the future ahead of me was good . And so that's what it means when Paul is talking in Romans , chapter 12 .

Noah James Wiebe 12:05

I think it's actually verse 12 , romans 12-12 , when he says rejoice and hope , be patient and affliction , be faithful in prayer , and so tapping into joy . The reason why it's so difficult , the reason why choosing joy is so hard , is because it's not a choice of vain happiness in the midst of sorrow , it is true , surrender to the purposes of the interests of God in your life when you have nothing left in you . So that's why , that's why it's so difficult . And is there hope for you ? Absolutely there is , because God does in fact have a purpose and a desire for your life that is better than you could ever imagine , and I'm praying that you tap into that .

Noah James Wiebe 12:46

I pray that this episode has been encouraging to you . I want you to understand that , at the end of all this , the choosing joy is attainable for you and for me because of the finished work of Christ on the cross in his resurrection , and that life and death to the world and death to your flesh , death to that thing in you that just kind of wants to roll over and die and give up . That's attainable , that strength is attainable to you today , in the name of Jesus and the devil who comes to steal and to kill and to destroy . The one who does not need you to buy into a big fat lie , who only needs to take a tiny little lie that says no , maybe it's not worth it , maybe you should give up , maybe you should blank . He does not have the final word on your life . He does not have a right to define or direct you . If you have put your trust in Jesus Christ as your Savior and your Lord and your leader and your friend , jesus is the one who defines you and directs you .

Noah James Wiebe 13:41

So don't give in to the belief that your life is no longer worth living . Don't give in to the belief that your failures are the things that have defined you . Don't give in to the belief that says you need to give up . You don't need to give up , it is not too late . It is never too late . There's no story that God cannot rewrite . There is no life that God cannot save . There is nothing impossible for him .

Noah James Wiebe 14:03

And even those lies , even those situations , even those lives that are broken and ruined , that threaten to cause us to doubt and give up on our faith , even those things are things that we can overcome in our thought , life and in our faith . When we say truly , with everything we've got , no , no , no . God has a greater story and he is greater than all of the things that I'm seeing in the deep , dark reality of this world . There is nothing that can separate you from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus . There is nothing that can keep you from being more than a conqueror through Jesus , who loved you on the cross . I'm sorry for wagging my finger at you , but that's the truth . The truth is you are . If you're , if you're a member of the family of God , if you're a son or daughter of His , you're approved of , you're loved , you have a future , you have the power to live the life that God has called you to live , and I want to help you Now . Here's the thing . Okay , that's what this podcast is all about .

Noah James Wiebe 15:00

Keep listening to more of these episodes , because that's what this is all about , but the fact is , my prayer for you , my desire for you is that you would be able to learn the secret . And now it's not really a secret , it's not really , like you know , a hidden mystery . All it is is the truth . Understand the truth that you can , through Christ , who strengthens you , go through all of those things Because he's with you and he loves you and he's walking with you to bring you through this and redeem all of these difficulties in your life .

Noah James Wiebe 15:31

There are times there's waste of time in your life that you feel like is irredeemable . There's difficulties in your life that you feel are irredeemable . There's people in your life who you're maybe struggling with , wondering if they're irredeemable Relationships , your finances , whatever it is . But the fact is , god has a way . God can make a way . God can do all things . You put your trust in Him . If you say God , I need you , I'm gonna trust you . I'm gonna give up , live the life you call me to live . Help me , help me walk with you through this . Through Christ , you can do all those things Because he's the one who strengthens you . So thank you for listening to this episode of the InRest Podcast If you want to have some assistance , some genuine , tested , experienced wisdom introduced into your life , if you want someone to come alongside you and walk you through a process of implementing the truths of the gospel into your day-to-day life .

Noah James Wiebe 16:31

If you want someone to help you overcome some of these lies that you're struggling with and develop a real strategy , effective strategy for not only developing a rule of life , a way of walking with Jesus every day , but also a strategy for overcoming some of these mental health issues that you're struggling with , or even just finding hope in the midst of these difficulties that you're experiencing . I would love to be a part of that story . My name's Noah . I'm the host of the InRest Podcast , but I'm also the owner and proprietor of the InRest Institute . I exist to help other people live their best in Christ and , if you'd like to meet it , be a coach in your life to bring you through a process and to lead you through a process and guide you through a process in which you are able to take on the truths of the gospel for you and for your life and for your future . I would love to be a part of

Connecting and Engaging With Listeners

Noah James Wiebe 17:20

that .

Noah James Wiebe 17:20

If you want to DM me at inrestinsta on Instagram , or send me a message on the Facebook page facebookcom inrest podcast or even just leave a comment and say Coach , I would love to reach out to you and get back to you and have a little bit of a conversation with you about what it might look like for me to come alongside you in this journey of integrating the truths of the gospel into your day-to-day life . In the meantime , jesus loves you and I love you too , and I pray that you would trust in Jesus more fully than you ever have before and you'd live the life that he's called you to live . Thank you again so much . Don't forget to follow , subscribe , leave a comment , leave a review .

Noah James Wiebe 17:57

If you're listening to this on Spotify , watching on YouTube or any other platform , please make sure you interact with me . I'd love to get in touch with you , but also leave a 5-star review or like or subscribe or something or comment . I would love to interact and I would love to hear of your engagement , and that would really help podcast a lot and get this message out to other people who might need to know that life is worth living and that the life that God has for you is worth living . Again , thank you . Jesus loves you . God bless , bye .