Joy is a Person

“Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”
1 Peter 1:8-9

       When we think of joy we usually think of it as a type of destination. We think that joy is something we have to arrive at finding, and usually we only find it after much searching and when all the elements in our lives are just right. The world would say it is when we have fame, or success, or have found our inner peace, but all of those assumptions about joy are not what Biblical joy is. One of my favorite quotes from C.S. Lewis says “I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen, not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.” This picture of our faith is also a picture of joy. Joy is not a destination but a person. The joy we are tirelessly seeking after comes from a person- Christ. It is in Christ that we can have joy in the midst of our circumstances, because if we acknowledge that the sun rising in our lives is a representation of the Son of man, we see the world differently.

Life can be hard. Sickness, sin, and death are realities of our lives introduced in the fall, and we should not deny our emotional responses to them because even Jesus wept. Yet, when Jesus was at Lazarus’s grave weeping he was not without hope. Jesus knew his crucifixion and resurrection were soon, and he knew that sin and death would be conquered forever at the cross. This is the reality that brings us everlasting joy in all things. We no longer have to live in darkness and be defined by the chaos of this world, but be a light for others to see the joy we have in Christ. 

As C. S. Lewis continues to explain in Surprised by Joy, “you can search the world for joy and not find it, but when you’re busy living your life in right relationship with God and loving Jesus sacrificially, joy sneaks up behind you and surprises you.” It is when we seek Christ not merely as a means to get joy, but because we desire to be in relationship with Him, that joy is present. If it is joy you are pursuing, try pursuing a genuine relationship with Christ as the end goal instead of the end goal being your pursuit of joy. This idea should also infiltrate into your health and wellness. One of the biggest reasons I see women fail in their weight loss or health efforts is by being too narrow minded in their approach. When you focus on losing weight or trying to be healthier as a means of fulfillment, you will never find joy because joy is not to be found in anything other that Christ. Instead you should recognize that as a joy-filled Christian, honoring God with your body is something that pleases God and in turn is what is best for our health. Again the end result is not health, but joy which leads to honoring God.

Questions to Ponder: 

1. What thing or circumstance do you currently feel like if you had you would be more joyful?

2. Do you feel like you are using God as a means to find joy, or you are genuinely desiring a relationship with the Lord?

Today’s Reading:

1 Peter 1