Joy
Today, I want to talk about Joy. Joy can be a little confusing. Most define it as a feeling of happiness; in fact, they might use the word happy instead of joyful. However, joy is so much more than mere happiness.
Joy is that never ending, enduring, unstoppable, stubborn, and gritty force that creates a satisfied, contented, and glad soul no matter the circumstances. Circumstances change, but joy persists. Why is that? Joy is a response to something that does not change: the truth. The truth is also something constant, which is why joy can find its home there.
Many joyful events are doused in truth: birthday parties, weddings, baby showers, graduations, retirement, and the like. In all these things, we have stress, but it is the joy related to these things that keeps us going. I think it’s obvious that some of these joyful events differ, and that’s because the truth related to each event is scaled differently.
The greater the truth of an event, the greater the joy. I’m going to tell you about a joy that I have that surpasses understanding. My joy is based in Jesus Christ: God. It’s not just that Jesus is God. It is what He did for me. It’s what He has done for everyone.
He came to earth. God, in human flesh, came to earth. He had no reason to do so. Certainly, nothing I have done has warranted a visit from God. As many of you know, humans are pretty terrible, and I’m one of them. So why would God do this? Simply put, God loves us and wanted to save us. It’s pretty crazy, and doing it showed that He did the ultimate unselfish act. Leave Heaven and join us in the muck. We had filled the world with sin, and He came anyway.
While here, Jesus gave a ton of teaching. Teaching how to live rightly, how to serve, how to lead, how to help, how to pray, how to love, how to sacrifice, and how to be people of God. His life ended on a cross, which represented a sacrifice for mankind, eliminating our debt of sin for which we were to be punished. He took that punishment for us.
Not only that, but He didn’t stay dead! He rose from the dead, defeating death, and promising that same power to us through faith and allegiance to Him.
Now, what does all that have to do with joy? Everything. This truth - Jesus died for your sins so that you could enter into a relationship with God - is penultimate. It’s the truth that gives meaning to all other truths. Without lasting permanence, joy cannot last. Birthdays stop, weddings cease, GPA loses reliance, babies grow into teenagers, retirement ends; everything on earth fades away.
Everlasting joy can only come from an eternal being.
If you see me smiling, you see a reflection of something God has done in my life. If you look at my adoptions and wonder, that guy’s crazy, know that it’s a reflection of God’s love for me and what He did for me.
This does not mean I’m happy all the time, but you might see a positive spirit that keeps on keeping on. That grit and determination is based and steeped in the joy knowing God’s love. That joy persists through trials, tribulations, temptations, failures, successes, fears, and is the robust wellspring from where I draw strength. It is not my own, but God’s.
Not only do I think joy comes from God, but this is what the Word tells us:
“But the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people:”
Luke 2:10
““I have told you these things so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.”
John 15:11
“So you also have sorrow now. But I will see you again. Your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy from you.”
John 16:22
“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Romans 15:13
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. The law is not against such things.”
Galatians 5:22-23
“Consider it a great joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you experience various trials, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.”
James 1:2-4
“We are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.”
1 John 1:4
“Now to him who is able to protect you from stumbling and to make you stand in the presence of his glory, without blemish and with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, power, and authority before all time, now and forever. Amen.”
Jude 1:24-25
Friends, God wants you to experience joy! Walk in it. Get used to it. Joy is permanent. Wherever God is, there will be joy.
Hope will be realized.
Faith will be seen.
Love will get us there.
Joy is what we will experience forever! Start now!!
Joy is that never ending, enduring, unstoppable, stubborn, and gritty force that creates a satisfied, contented, and glad soul no matter the circumstances. Circumstances change, but joy persists. Why is that? Joy is a response to something that does not change: the truth. The truth is also something constant, which is why joy can find its home there.
Many joyful events are doused in truth: birthday parties, weddings, baby showers, graduations, retirement, and the like. In all these things, we have stress, but it is the joy related to these things that keeps us going. I think it’s obvious that some of these joyful events differ, and that’s because the truth related to each event is scaled differently.
The greater the truth of an event, the greater the joy. I’m going to tell you about a joy that I have that surpasses understanding. My joy is based in Jesus Christ: God. It’s not just that Jesus is God. It is what He did for me. It’s what He has done for everyone.
He came to earth. God, in human flesh, came to earth. He had no reason to do so. Certainly, nothing I have done has warranted a visit from God. As many of you know, humans are pretty terrible, and I’m one of them. So why would God do this? Simply put, God loves us and wanted to save us. It’s pretty crazy, and doing it showed that He did the ultimate unselfish act. Leave Heaven and join us in the muck. We had filled the world with sin, and He came anyway.
While here, Jesus gave a ton of teaching. Teaching how to live rightly, how to serve, how to lead, how to help, how to pray, how to love, how to sacrifice, and how to be people of God. His life ended on a cross, which represented a sacrifice for mankind, eliminating our debt of sin for which we were to be punished. He took that punishment for us.
Not only that, but He didn’t stay dead! He rose from the dead, defeating death, and promising that same power to us through faith and allegiance to Him.
Now, what does all that have to do with joy? Everything. This truth - Jesus died for your sins so that you could enter into a relationship with God - is penultimate. It’s the truth that gives meaning to all other truths. Without lasting permanence, joy cannot last. Birthdays stop, weddings cease, GPA loses reliance, babies grow into teenagers, retirement ends; everything on earth fades away.
Everlasting joy can only come from an eternal being.
If you see me smiling, you see a reflection of something God has done in my life. If you look at my adoptions and wonder, that guy’s crazy, know that it’s a reflection of God’s love for me and what He did for me.
This does not mean I’m happy all the time, but you might see a positive spirit that keeps on keeping on. That grit and determination is based and steeped in the joy knowing God’s love. That joy persists through trials, tribulations, temptations, failures, successes, fears, and is the robust wellspring from where I draw strength. It is not my own, but God’s.
Not only do I think joy comes from God, but this is what the Word tells us:
“But the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people:”
Luke 2:10
““I have told you these things so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.”
John 15:11
“So you also have sorrow now. But I will see you again. Your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy from you.”
John 16:22
“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Romans 15:13
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. The law is not against such things.”
Galatians 5:22-23
“Consider it a great joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you experience various trials, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.”
James 1:2-4
“We are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.”
1 John 1:4
“Now to him who is able to protect you from stumbling and to make you stand in the presence of his glory, without blemish and with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, power, and authority before all time, now and forever. Amen.”
Jude 1:24-25
Friends, God wants you to experience joy! Walk in it. Get used to it. Joy is permanent. Wherever God is, there will be joy.
Hope will be realized.
Faith will be seen.
Love will get us there.
Joy is what we will experience forever! Start now!!
Comments
Post a Comment