Got Joy?

JOY! What is it? Have you got it?  Most of us think of joy as an emotion related to events in our lives.  Here's what the dictionary has to say about it:

the emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying; keen pleasure; elation

Here's my question for you - is it possible to live our lives in a state of joy, regardless of what is happening around us?  Is the only source of your joy caused by something good happening to you?

We  have been studying 'joy' this month at church - we call it "joyology," or the knowledge and science of joy.  Maybe you already knew this, but there is an entire letter to the Christian church that was dedicated to the subject of 'joy.'  It was written by the Apostle Paul (a devout Jewish man who went by the name 'Saul,' before he became a follower of Jesus) and sent to a group of other Jesus-followers in the city of Philippi. Philippi is a city located in Greece, and back in that ancient time, it was a sort of "gold rush" town.   When Paul wrote his letter to the people who were gathered together as the 'church' in Philippi, he was writing to them from prison.  He was put in prison for preaching about Jesus, so it seems fair to say, his understanding of joy beyond your circumstances had credibility.

God desires for each of us to have joy at a level much deeper than our circumstances.  This is very different from what we call, 'happiness.'  Happiness truly is related to events in life, but it is fleeting.

Joy is an inside job, and at our core, we derive joy from our relationships rather than events.  More than any events and more able to sustain than any human relationship, our personal relationship with God through Jesus offers the purest of joys.

Jesus spoke of joy often, and as followers of Jesus, joy is our birthright! When Jesus was teaching his closest followers about how to live their lives, he said this:

Just as the Father has loved me, so I love you. I want you to stay in my love. If you obey the things I show you to do, you will stay in my love, just like I have stayed in my Father's love by obeying His directions for me. I am telling you this so that my joy will be in you and so that your joy will be complete! Here's what I want you to do: Love each other in the same way that I love you! There is no greater way to show that you love your friends than to lay down your life for your friends.            The Gospel of John, chapter 15 (paraphrased)

There is no teaching like the teaching of Jesus, and no other joy will sustain you like the joy of Jesus. He really is the one true and lasting source of joy in our lives - His joy can sustain you in spite of difficult or unhappy circumstances.

Happiness comes and goes, but joy that resides deep in our hearts and sustains us through fear, anxiety, and any kind of uncertainty in our lives.  Paul wrote about joy from a prison cell.  More than most of us will ever understand, Paul understood the importance of joy as a source to sustain him through the toughest of times.

Whether you are in a happy place today, or dealing with difficult times, remember that joy is your birthright in Christ, and that God 's love and care for you is always be present to make your joy full when you need it most.