Christmas time is a season when we hear many beautiful, positive words- “be merry”, “be jolly”, “Joy to the world!”, and “Dear desire of every nation, joy of every longing heart”. But what is this joy of which we are hearing? Where can we find it? Who can grasp it? It is something I believe, like the hymn above says, is the desire of every longing heart. We all want this joy- all year round. 

To begin, I think it’s important to define joy. The Oxford Dictionary defines joy as a feeling of pleasure and happiness. This definition seems a bit vague, open-ended, and subjective. The joy of Christmas, or Biblical joy, is a more focused concept. As C.S. Lewis wrote on joy, and said that he had discovered that joy was not in a thing, or situation, or event. He had found that joy was in a Person.

Which brings me to another definition. John Piper gives this definition that I would prefer to the Oxford dictionary: 

A good feeling in the soul produced by the Holy Spirit as He causes us to see the beauty of Christ in the Word and the world. 

With this definition in mind, I would like to share three parts of joy: its source, reasons for joy, and the practice of joy. 

I want to premise this by saying that joy, rejoicing, and being joyful are not an option for the Christian. It is a command and a duty. The Bible tells us to “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say rejoice” (Phil.4:4) and “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thess. 5:16-18). Additionally, the Westminster Catechism’s first question asks, “What is the chief end of man?” In other words, what is a human being’s purpose? Why are we here? The answer is “To glorify God and enjoy Him forever. 

At this point, you may be thinking, ok, Bianca. But how can I be joyful when my marriage is falling apart? How can I be joyful when I am grieving a deep loss? How can I rejoice when my children seem to have walked away from the faith? How can I rejoice if I am in constant pain or having health issues? How can I find joy when I can’t pay my bills? How can I find joy if I am not even sure I know God? 

The good news is that God doesn’t expect you to conjure up a feeling out of sheer willpower, out of thin air, or even to fake it till you make it. St. Augustine prayed, “Father, command what you will and grant what you command.”

If God commands us to rejoice, He will provide the power, the reasons, and the perseverance to do so.

Source of Joy

Scripture gives us all the evidence needed to understand where our source of joy comes.

Galatians 5:22- But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

John 14:26- But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.

Romans 15:13-May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

At the moment of salvation, the believer receives the Holy Spirit. With that, the believer now has the ability to pursue and experience the joy he commands. The source is not our own efforts, but from the Giver of Joy. It takes supernatural power. Joy is promised by the Father, bestowed by the Son, inwrought by the Holy Spirit. It is from the Divine Godhead in which our fountain springs.

Reasons for Joy!

As we think of our lives here on earth, there is a continuum of reasons for joy because our lives can be divided into past, present, and future. Let’s think of our past for a moment. Not just the past we remember, but our eternal past.

We have been chosen before the foundation of the world. Even before we were a thought in our parents’ minds, God loved us and chose us as His own. That alone should give us an immense feeling of joy. He chose me. He chose you.

Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. Eph. 1:4

We have been redeemed from the kingdom of darkness and brought into the kingdom of light. Not only did he choose us, He had an eternal plan to redeem us. He saved us so that we can become His representatives of light and life. He has transformed our hearts and minds to build His kingdom.

For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son. Col. 1:13

Our sins have been forgiven, and we have been saved from the wrath of God by the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus our Savior.

He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. Eph. 1:7

Most, if not all, of us have pasts we are ashamed of or not proud of. Pasts filled with hurt, dysfunction, or apathy towards God. But now, you are a new, restored creation in Christ! As we remember where we have been, remember what Christ did for us, we may say with the Psalmist,  “Restore unto me the joy of my salvation”. Ps.51:12 

Now let’s look to the future:

In Christ, we have the hope of glory,

I consider that our present sufferings are not comparable to the glory that will be revealed in us. Romans 8:18

the crown of life, 

Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. James 1:12

And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away. 1 Peter 5:4

a dwelling with God forever in heaven

In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. John 14:2-3

The dwelling place of God is with men and he will live with them…He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain… Rev. 31:3-7

Even our example, Jesus, “for the joy set before him, endured the cross, scorning the shame.”

Our future is one of purpose, belonging, and glory! What a wonderful hope to look forward to. Knowing our redeemed past and knowing our certain hopeful future, with the power of the holy spirit- and in light of the gospel, brings us to that state of joy in our present reality. THIS becomes our strength. This is the Joy of the Lord that becomes my strength when my life is crumbling around me and when chaos seems to be closing in. 

Remember the definition I shared in the beginning? That joy is “a good feeling produced by the Holy Spirit as he causes us to see the beauty of Christ in the Word and in the world.” I would like to add that feelings or emotions are maintained by how things are perceived,  things are perceived by what we know, and solidified by experience. Having the Holy Spirit does not negate our responsibility to fan the flame of joy.  We are a forgetful people. We get distracted by the things within and things outside that tend to steal our joy away. We are to practice joyful living. 

Practice Joyful Living

• Exercising Spiritual Disciplines

-Reading, studying, and meditating on God’s word 

 Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart; for I am called by your name, O Lord God of hosts. Jer. 15:16

Your statutes are my heritage forever; they are the joy of my heart. Ps.119:111

When we read God’s Word, we are reminded and encouraged by his great redemptive plan. We are reminded of Christ’s work on our behalf. We are encouraged by His great love and new mercies.

-Praying: Being in God’s presence-

“You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”Psalm 16:11 (ESV)

Being with God in constant communication, hearing his voice, and praying to him brings our focus to the Giver of joy.

• Being grateful

“Give thanks in all circumstances.” 1 Thess. 5:18

• Loving and serving others. The book of Philippians

All of the above are commands. Rejoicing, spending time in his word, being grateful, loving, and serving others. But all of these are to be obeyed. We may know what we should do, but we must be doers of the word and not just hearers only.

If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. John 15:10-11

Obedience is the key to joy. Obedience is the key to glorifying God and enjoying Him forever. Think about it. The Word tells us, “Do not worry”, “Do not fear”, “Forgive”. What happens when we do not heed those commands? We worry, and we fear! We become anxious, fearful, bitter, and miserable Christians. Disobedience steals our joy. Disobedience is the wall that prevents us from seeing the beauty of Christ in the word and in the world. 

Do I possess the joy of the Lord? Have I truly trusted the Lord and given my life to him? Have I made Jesus the source of my joy, or am I still trying to look elsewhere? Do I derive my joy in the truth of the gospel? Is my disobedience preventing me from having fullness of joy?

It is thy duty and privilege to rejoice in God:

Rejoice then in the giver and his goodness,

Be happy in him, O my heart, and in nothing but God,

For whatever a man trusts in,

From that he expects his happiness.

Let God be all in all to thee,

And joy in the fountain that is always full. ¹

The Lord bless you,

Bianca

1. Excerpt from The Valley of Vision ↩︎