Joy and Humility

We feel joy in our heart and humility is a state of mind. If joy and humility are linked, then we would expect that humility would lead to joy, and not the other way around. Why? Because we are used to thinking that our head comes before our heart. Joy and humility in the face of suffering were certainly connected for Christ. In fact, the joy set before him gave rise to humility. And that humility enabled him to endure shame that he despised and the pain of the cross.

Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Philippians 2:8

Jesus . . . who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Hebrews 12:2

I always thought that the Lord found humility to bear the Cross because of the promise of future joy in the eternal kingdom. It makes sense. Suffer through this and the reward will outweigh the pain of the moment. If this is the case, then humility now does lead to future joy. All is as we expect. But what if Jesus had already received the joy before the cross, and it bred humility and enabled him to endure his sufferings?

. . . Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross . . .

Hebrews 12:2

Christ, by faith, entered into the Father’s house. He is the author and perfector of faith. He blazed the trail there. Hebrews chapter twelve is encouraging us to enter in and draw near to the Father’s house, so that we won’t turn back and fall away. Coming to Mount Zion, the real place of worship, that so much other revelation was merely a copy of, brings us before the Father and his many blessings . . . love, joy, peace, &c. The Spirit brings us to the Father and the fruit of his work is that we arrive there and feel in our heart those blessings . . . straight from the source. That’s how we come to obtain inexpressible joy.

. . . you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith . . .

1 Peter 1:8-9

By faith we enter in, and the joy we receive, completely de-coupled from our circumstances, is difficult or impossible to express. The author to the Hebrews is encouraging his readers to follow Christ’s example and to enter in, receive that joy in the face of suffering. That joy produces a harvest of humility and endurance, to safeguard their souls. The transformation of the human soul proceeds first upon the heart, and then the mind and the will are affected.

Romans chapter twelve urges us to . . .

. . . present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

Romans 12:1-2

First there is a battle and our flesh must lose dominion over us. This a battle for our heart to be free to feel again. Then another battle is wages and the World must be overcome and the Father’s house embraced. Within his walls we feel the blessings that he lavishes on us. The crushing, conforming pressure of the World grows weaker there. That allows our minds to be transformed. Finally the World’s dominion is broken. The ultimate result is that we approve the good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Yes, the final transformation of our souls takes place in our will and desires.

So joy in our heart comes before humility in our mind. And humility precedes the will to endure. That was how it was for Christ and also for us. We don’t have to face the difficulties of life on empty, hoping that we can hang on and make it through for some eventual reward. Yes, the reward will come, but we have resources for the here and now. We can be equipped for the challenges we face in the Father's house. The joy he sets before us, that makes our heart burst, will go further. It will make the world grow dim in our eyes, which is essential for us to gin true humility. And as our hearts are full of joy and the mind of Christ and his humility is our state of mind, our will and desires will change. We will be able to endure . . . saying, "Not my will but yours be done".