Got Joy?

Are you happy?  This is a question that we are often bombarded with on a regular basis.  Everyone wants the people they care about to be happy and they want to be happy themselves. Being happy is great, but there is something better.  That something is joy.  When looking at happiness and joy side by side, it becomes easy to see why joy is what we really want to pursue.  

Happiness is an emotion that is a response to different experiences we may have.  A job can make us happy.  Traveling can make us happy.  Eating donuts can make us happy.  We should enjoy these types of things because they are good and God wants us to be happy.  However, what happens when these things are gone?  If happiness is all that we focus on, what happens when these things are taken away or changed?  A job we like can be stripped away at any time.  Trips don’t last forever and traveling can be limited.  The pleasure of a freshly baked donut only lasts until we have taken the last bite and all that remains are the crumbs.  Happiness is a feeling that changes and moves throughout our lives as we experience different moments and all of the ups and downs of life.  While happiness is fleeting and temporary, joy can be found more deeply within us and it is what we can always count on.

As Christians, we are able to have joy in all circumstances.  We can have joy even in our challenges, struggles, and suffering.  This is possible when we stay focused on Christ.  If we look at every period of our lives through eyes of faith, we will be able to experience true joy, even during times of difficulty.

A beautiful thing about joy is that we can see it in other people.  There are people who radiate joy just by being who they were created to be.  It is something easy to notice in others.  Encountering people who have joy is amazing because it is usually contagious.  People have joy because they know Christ and are aware of the love He has for them and they let themselves be filled by His love.

​We are deeply and perfectly loved by Jesus.  That is a cause for joy!  We are called to have joy and share it with others so that they may see a light in us and be inspired to know Jesus in a deeper way.  My prayer for each day is that when people see me, they see a joyful witness of Christ’s love.