A Person’s Joy

We live in troubled and disheartening times.  It seems that each day has its disappointments and discouragements.  Jesus Himself said that life in this world would be marked with trouble daily [Matthew 6:34, John 16:33].  So, we all have troubles which we must face daily.  It is not having troubles that is our problem; it is how we respond to them that affects our lives [Philippians 4:6, James 1:2].  Depression is our feelings of severe despondency and dejection [Genesis 4:4-6].  It becomes a sense of hopelessness which defines our life.  It affects our self-esteem, which is how we view how others view us.  It can become a closed cycle of life which seems to have no escape.  In the United States alone it is estimated that there are over 16 million adults who struggle with depression: world-wide the estimate jumps to over 350 million.  Depression is one of the leading causes of disabilities with which our society struggles along with anxiety and stress.

So, what does all this have to do with a person’s joy?  A depressed society and/or person never have true joy in their lives.  They want it and some even try to find it only to find out that joy is a fleeting thing.  It is momentary and vanishes like the wind.  Trying to grasp joy is like holding tightly to a handful of air.  When you open your hand to view the air, it is gone before you can lock your gaze upon it.  Since joy is so elusive many people redefine it as happiness, but happiness is another kind of animal entirely.  Happiness is the elation we feel due to outside circumstances.  It depends entirely on things that happen around us.  It has nothing to do with personality or character.

True joy, which eludes so many, has nothing to do with outside circumstances.  Joy has everything to do with inward character and attitude [Galatians 5:22-23].  Joy is a sense of great pleasure and contentment.  We struggle with joy because of the influence of our sin nature, which is opposed to any Godly characteristic. [Romans 8:7].  At the point of salvation, a believer receives the indwelling Holy Spirit of God [1 John 4:13].  We are set apart to be conformed into the image of Jesus, God’s only Son [Romans 8:29].  This process of removing our old nature and replacing it with God’s nature, characteristics, personality is a lifetime of spiritual maturing [2 Corinthians 5:17].  One of the evidences of the Holy Spirit’s abiding in a believer’s life is a joyous life [Galatians 5:22].  Whereas happiness comes and goes as situations change, joy is a continuous, even flow of pleasure with life.  Our joy can be exhilarating even during unhappy times in our lives.   It is a blessed gift from God which transcends all of our life.  It allows the unbearable to become bearable and the discontented to become contented.

In this world today, joy is what we need, and it issues from our relationship and fellowship with God.

Being in relationship with God and having fellowship with Him is life’s true joy.

"You will make known to me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; in Your right hand there are pleasures forever.” Psalm 16:11 [NAS]

Hugh Folds – Interim Pastor SPBC

Matthew 6:33