Sometimes you feel like a nut!

Sometimes you don’t!

Peter Paul Almond Joy has nuts—Mounds don’t!

Because, sometimes you feel like a nut!

Sometimes you don’t!

Even though I feel a little nutty starting an article with those words, I can’t help but smile when I read them. First, let me say that they are the copyrighted property of the Hershey Foods company which bought the combined Peter Paul and Cadbury companies in 1988. With that purchase, Hershey Foods acquired the rights to two of the most popular candy bars in American culture: the Almond Joy and Mounds candy bars. They were similar except that the Mounds bar lacked the almonds that its twin had.

Hershey also acquired the tradition of the wacky TV commercials that had been used to advertise the two bars. They played for a couple of decades up until 1990, and “Sometimes you feel like a nut!” became part of American culture. The commercials always pictured happy (nutty?) people doing funny things and always left you feeling . . . well, feeling like having a candy bar! (I guess the commercials worked.) Even the name of the more well-known of the two bars—the Almond Joy—was indicative of how one was supposed to feel when enjoying the candy: joyful!

And let’s face it—there are very few people who don’t enjoy the taste of chocolate, nuts, and sweetened coconut mixed and molded into bite-sized portions. And that’s fine—taken in moderation, the results of the confectioner’s arts can provide a treat to balance out those fruits, veggies, and whole grains that we typically focus on (or at least should be focusing on, right?). And sometimes, like the candy bar commercial said, that sense of joy is even called, “Being a little nutty.” We all have our crazy, or nutty, moments—another part of the gift of God to us, to enjoy the moments in life when laughter relieves us from the stress that accumulates week to week.

Joy That Lasts

While we know God gives joy in life that goes far beyond the momentary pleasure of a candy treat or a bout of silly laughter, we shouldn’t have to ignore them. By their temporary nature, moments of joy remind us of what our hearts truly seek: a deep joy that transcends earthly pleasures and experience.

We get a little rush from a bite of a candy bar, but we know it won’t last. And we enjoy an evening of hilarity with friends, knowing that the party has to end. But with the joy that God gives, we never have that worry. Regardless of the temporary ups and downs in our life, the joy that God gives is ours forever. As the Puritan theologian Thomas Brooks wrote, “A Christian may have as choice communion with God when his eyes are full of tears as he can when his heart is full of joy.” Joy does not leave in the presence of tears. Indeed, joy gives tears peaceful permission to flow and dries them in due course.

The Mounds candy bar preceded the Almond Joy, and the slogan first used to sell the Mounds bar in the 1920s was “What a bar of candy for 5 cents!” Later, marketers used two other slogans that can add to our understanding of the joy that lasts: “Indescribably Delicious” and “Honest to Goodness Chocolate.”

The apostle Peter wrote about “joy inexpressible” to the Jewish believers who were suffering in distant lands (1 Peter 1:8). The Peter Paul candy bars might have been “Indescribably Delicious,” but the joy of God goes beyond our ability even to express—even when we are in the midst of suffering. And the chocolate that coated their bars might have been “Honest to Goodness Chocolate,” but the joy of the Lord is rooted in the truth of God: “I rejoice at Your word as one who finds great treasure” (Psalm 119:162).

Which sounds more satisfying in the long run—the very best chocolate or the joy that springs from truth? They both have their place, but one place is more important—more eternal—than the other.

Joy That Appears

C. S. Lewis drew a telling distinction between the joys of this world (pleasure, candy bars, laughter) and the joy of God: “Joy is never in our power and pleasure often is.”

Did you get the distinction? Pleasure is often in our power. We can walk into a store and purchase a candy bar or any other source of pleasure and enjoy it for what it is worth. But where do we go to buy joy? Joy is not in our power to produce. Joy is something that appears as a by-product of something else: living our life in the certainty and contentedness that come from the promises of God. In that spirit, Lewis also wrote, “Joy bursts in on our lives when we go about doing the good at hand and not trying to manipulate things and times to achieve joy.” In fact, C. S. Lewis wrote a book titled Surprised by Joy—the story of his conversion from atheism to belief in God. The joy that came from his newfound faith was not something he purchased or sought—it was something that surprised him as he came to trust in God.

There is no more proof positive of what C. S. Lewis has said than the experience of the apostle Paul while in jail. The letter he wrote to the church at Philippi—written from a Roman jail cell—proves that joy is not a matter of circumstances. Joy appears when we are wholly involved in doing the will of God and trusting Him in the midst of circumstances.

Note how Paul experienced joy even while confined in jail. Joy appeared when he . . .

            • Prayed for others (Philippians 1:4). When Paul took his eyes off his own circumstances and focused on the Philippians, he experienced joy.

            • Saw God’s plan being fulfilled (1:18). Even though other preachers were vying for Paul’s leadership role while he was jail, Paul rejoiced that the Gospel was being preached. He didn’t lose his joy over others taking his place. He experienced joy because the Gospel was going forth.

            • Saw others living lives pleasing to God (2:2). When others were walking in the will of God, Paul experienced joy.

            • Knew he was pleasing God (2:17-18). Paul’s goal in life was to please God in everything—even while being confined to jail. Knowing He was in God’s will brought him joy.

            • Focused on the Lord Jesus Christ (3:1; 4:4). Paul encouraged others to do what he did: rejoice in the Lord! That doesn’t mean he manufactured joy. Rather, he chose to find joy in his worship of Christ. Paul knew that joy would be the result of staying focused on pleasing Christ.

            • Remembered the limitations of his human abilities (3:3). Paul had no “confidence in the flesh.” That is, he did not look to himself or his circumstances as a permanent source of joy to deliver him through trials. He knew only Jesus was sufficient for that.

Joy That Is Permanent

If Christians do one thing that short-circuits joy in their lives, it is this: confusing pleasure and joy. Remember: both have their place in our lives. I am in no way discounting the many pleasures God has created for us to enjoy. But if you make life’s pleasures the source of your joy, then as soon as those pleasures have run their course or are withdrawn, your joy vanishes. Pleasure is temporary, but joy endures. Indeed, true joy, because it has its source in God and His faithfulness, is new “every morning” (Lamentations 3:23).

The apostle Paul wrote that “the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking [or any other temporary pleasure], but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:17). If joy is found in our relationship with God through the Holy Spirit, then we know it is a joy that will endure both now and forever.

Do we sometimes “feel like a nut” (or act a little “nutty”) in this life? Absolutely—and God’s good gifts to us make those moments possible and enjoyable. But when it comes to joy that will endure, I recommend the joy of the Lord over an Almond Joy every time. I trust you do as well. Taste Him today (Psalm 34:8)—and you’ll agree.