It's not an easy concept, joy. In fact it is often confusing and leaves us feeling less than deserving of the love we so desperately need from our Lord. We rail at ourselves because we think we should be able to approach all aspects of our lives with Joy as James says in James 1:2.
I believe that we can be joyful in all of our lives, but the snag lies in your definition of the word. To most American folk, joy is lumped in there with happiness, giddiness, and all manner of other responses. Much like our misinterpretation of love (a whole other post, obviously), we miss the mark by simplifying our definition. Joy is a complex concept. It is confusing at times and it can be misunderstood by outsiders, but most of all, joy is not happiness.
Ah! Now I have your attention!
Joy is not an emotional response but a conscious choice. Happiness is an elusive and fleeting emotion that comes and goes many times during the day. Joy is a state of being and a choice we make when things aren't always making us happy. Joy is choosing to believe that God is in control. Joy is the response we most often don't choose first because it is hard. Joy is what Jesus had in his heart when he limped, broken and battered, to Golgotha. Joy is not happiness.
Joy doesn't always look like elation, although it can. Joy is a deep seated state of our soul. Joy looks like peace, if I have to give it a definition to wrap my head around. It is that peace that covers you in the most dire of circumstances, when all hope seems lost. Joy is the response you have when instead of running off with your hair on fire, you kneel and pray and ask your Lord to guide you into His will. Joy connects you to something deeper than your emotions. Where your emotions are shaky and unreliable, joy is steady and unswerving. Joy is a deep contentment with one's circumstances, despite what our emotions are telling us.
Joy lives in us when we accept that Christ is the new author of our story. Joy is our response when we trust Him to have our back, no matter what the circumstances and frankly, no matter what we don't understand about our plight. Joy is what keeps us from hitting eject and walking away. Joy is at our root of our faith and joy is absolutely essential to our love of our Saviour. Joy is a choice.
"How do you get this joy," you ask... Simple concept, but not an easy appropriation. Not easy because it is a constant battle with ourselves to choose rightly. Joy is obtained by asking God, continuously to help you see it as a choice. Joy can become a habit that soothes you, uplifts you, and emanates from you.
Got joy?
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