What is Joy?

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Today I was thinking about the idea of joy. Christians are to rejoice in all things. We are to be joyful always. All Christians should be displaying joy in their lives. So what is joy and how do we do that?

Joy is one of the fruits of the Spirit that Paul talks about in Galatians 5:22-23. (But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.)

What is joy? Is it just a deeper form of happiness? Is it the opposite of sadness? God commands us to be full of joy. (Psalm 37:4, Philippians 4:4) Joy is not an emotion. If joy were an emotion based on our circumstances then how could we have joy in all things? God wouldn’t command his people to do something that was impossible. However, it takes allowing the Holy Spirit to work in and through your life. It is not something that we naturally do.

Joy is the outcome of a relationship with Christ. Christians are supposed to express their joy in all circumstances. How do we do that when things are going wrong in our lives? The idea here is not to let your circumstances rule your life. Nehemiah 8:10 says that the joy of the Lord is my strength. Joy doesn’t depend on the conditions of your life. In spite of chaotic circumstances you can still be joyful.

Focus on eternal things. Focus on whether or not things really matter in light of eternity. Things that happen in this life rarely mean anything in light of spending eternity in heaven. Joy is the result of pursuing God. That relationship with God is what gives us the strength to get through the toughest times and the perspective that no matter what happens, we can rejoice because we know where our ultimate destiny is.

Philippians 4:4 “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!”

Psalm 37:4 “Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.”

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