How to Regain Your Joy in Christ

00:00:00.000 | (upbeat music)

00:00:02.580 | - We're back with Ray Ortlund,

00:00:06.340 | our guest on the Ask Pastor John podcast,

00:00:08.460 | as John Piper is on a writing leave right now,

00:00:11.220 | working on his next book project.

00:00:13.420 | And Ray, as you know, our greatest problem is sin.

00:00:17.780 | We deserve God's judgment,

00:00:19.340 | and Christ has come to pay that penalty

00:00:22.020 | and to set us free eternally.

00:00:24.860 | But there's so many other benefits to this salvation

00:00:27.740 | that we now enjoy in Christ.

00:00:29.780 | How does the gospel apply to the ever-returning anxieties

00:00:34.300 | and insecurities and the frettings that we experience

00:00:37.700 | in the Christian life?

00:00:38.580 | In those times, where do we go to regain our joy in Christ?

00:00:43.580 | - Well, I would say, first of all, Tony,

00:00:46.140 | there is a kind of hidden blessing

00:00:49.300 | in looking back on my past

00:00:52.060 | and feeling wounded by my sin and folly.

00:00:55.620 | That humbles me.

00:00:57.620 | It keeps me leaning into the Lord

00:01:00.140 | and solemnizes me and warns me

00:01:02.840 | about my own potential for sin.

00:01:04.820 | So I'm grateful for that.

00:01:07.380 | But on the other hand, there are, as you suggest,

00:01:10.600 | anxieties and frettings and so forth

00:01:12.580 | that are not of the Holy Spirit.

00:01:14.700 | And the Lord does not want us to bear those burdens.

00:01:17.780 | One of my favorite passages in the Bible is 1 Peter 5, 7,

00:01:22.260 | "Cast all your cares on him, for he cares for you."

00:01:26.380 | And the original text suggests the idea

00:01:29.140 | that if it matters to you, it matters also to him.

00:01:33.420 | He does not despise us

00:01:35.740 | for the many things we find hard to bear.

00:01:39.020 | He doesn't tell us, "Buck up."

00:01:40.460 | He invites us to cast it on his broad shoulders

00:01:44.460 | so that he bears it for us.

00:01:45.860 | Now, Tony, when I think about

00:01:47.660 | how does that actually happen for me?

00:01:49.700 | I mean, it doesn't happen enough.

00:01:51.700 | I'm not very good at trusting the Lord.

00:01:56.040 | But what gives me traction to get free at heart,

00:02:01.040 | to trust in the Lord and rejoice

00:02:03.940 | and get my eyes off myself and my problems and so forth?

00:02:07.620 | The best strategy for me to regain peace and confidence

00:02:12.200 | is to go to church.

00:02:13.420 | I worship with my church.

00:02:14.880 | I see the people in my church.

00:02:17.120 | They're oxygen to me.

00:02:19.100 | And just by being there,

00:02:21.740 | they help me to feel afresh that Jesus is enough.

00:02:26.080 | And then, of course, they have problems too.

00:02:29.680 | And I become more aware of that.

00:02:31.940 | And that matters to me.

00:02:33.740 | So I start to think about them and care about them.

00:02:36.760 | And they matter, every single one of them, wonderful people.

00:02:40.000 | So at a number of levels,

00:02:42.080 | I have found, Tony,

00:02:43.880 | that my most effective strategy or remedy

00:02:47.440 | for battling through to confidence and joy,

00:02:50.080 | certainly not vegging out in front of TV,

00:02:52.700 | but going to my wonderful church

00:02:54.960 | and just enjoying the Lord with my friends.

00:02:58.600 | So seriously, from 10.30 to noon,

00:03:01.720 | every Sunday morning is my happiest

00:03:04.320 | and most sane moment in the whole week.

00:03:09.000 | And I find in the wonderful presence of the Lord there

00:03:14.000 | in that gospel culture,

00:03:17.260 | I am lifted in my heart to believe the promises of God again

00:03:21.380 | and get happy again.

00:03:23.140 | And I get fresh legs for the next challenge in life,

00:03:26.060 | even as I also have the privilege

00:03:28.460 | of imparting strength to others.

00:03:30.960 | - Wonderful, what a beautiful way to end this week.

00:03:34.740 | Thank you, Ray.

00:03:35.920 | And as we break for the weekend,

00:03:37.360 | you can look back on the episodes from the week

00:03:39.460 | and you can search our archive of hundreds of episodes

00:03:42.260 | all in our new landing page.

00:03:44.260 | You can go to desiringgod.org.

00:03:46.860 | At the top of the page, click on the tab that says More,

00:03:49.620 | and then click on Ask Pastor John.

00:03:51.740 | Feel free to take some time this weekend

00:03:53.220 | to search our collection of episodes

00:03:55.140 | and get familiar with what's in the archive.

00:03:58.260 | May you experience this joy-restoring,

00:04:01.020 | anxiety-relieving time with God's people this weekend

00:04:04.460 | as we gather together for worship.

00:04:07.140 | I'm your host, Tony Reinke.

00:04:08.060 | I'll see you on Monday.

00:04:09.220 | (upbeat music)

00:04:11.800 | (upbeat music)

00:04:14.380 | [BLANK_AUDIO]

How to Regain Your Joy in Christ

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