Joy to the World?

So, the Christmas season is upon us once again. As we see the hustle and bustle of crazed and panicking shoppers, watch the at times obnoxious T.V. adds, and listen to those silly Christmas songs that are sung only because they rhyme ("Have a Holly, Jolly Christmas"?), it is easy to tell that this holiday is not at all about joy to the world or peace on earth; at least, not to the untransformed heart.

Instant Joy: Get it Before it's Gone

Have you ever noticed that holidays are often viewed as a "quick fix" for joy? Sort of like those instant mashed potatoes; they come in a neat little package, they're ready in a wink, and you can just taste the fake ingredients on your tongue. Is that really all there is to joy though? Is it just a warm fuzzy feeling that leaves as soon as something else comes to take it's place?

A Biblical Take on Joy

So what is joy really? Well, we know from Galatians 5:22 that joy is a fruit of the Spirit. We also know from Jesus that if we keep His commandments and abide in His love, than our joy will be full (John 15:10-11). What can we learn about joy from these verses? From Galatians, it is clear that joy is not only a nice thing to experience, but is a biblical command. Galatians 5:25 states, "If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit." Part of walking in the Spirit is exhibiting those fruits, one of which is joy. We also see, from what Jesus said, that joy does not come over night, but must be cultivated (by keeping His commandments), and rooted in Him (by abiding in His love).

Caution: Joy Is Not an Emotion

In her book A Young Woman's Walk with God, Elizabeth George writes this while dealing with the subject of joy,

"It helps me to cultivate joy in my life by thinking of joy as the sacrifice of praise. Let me explain. When life is good, praise and thanksgiving flow freely from my heart and lips. But when life turns black, praise and thanksgiving don't flow quite so easily. Instead, I have to deliberately choose to follow God's advice and "give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus" (1 Thessalonians 5:18). Although I don't feel like praising the Lord or thanking Him, I do what God says, and that effort makes my praise a sacrifice.

Mrs. George goes on to explain that joy is not happiness. Happiness is the emotion we feel when we smell cookies baking, finally beat that certain person in chess, or find out that our team won the World Series. Joy is the ability to say "Thy will be done" after the death of a loved one. It is the ability to see past a difficult trial and see the good that God is working through it.

Won't you make a conscience effort to radiate joy this Christmas season (and the rest of the year too)? This world of ours is in desperate need of true, Christ-like joy, and we are the only ones who can show them what it looks like.

As Paul said, even when he was in chains for the gospel, "Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!" Philippians 3:12

posted by Lydia