The emotion of joy is such a great thing to experience in our lives. For example, seeing your children obtain a good grade on a test they studied hard for, the joy brought about by participating in healthy relationships or reaching a goal you marked down and continuing to march through the adversities that came across your path to achieve it. These are wonderful examples of joy we can experience at any given time. 

Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines Joy as the emotion evoked by well-being, success, good fortune, or the prospect of possessing what one desires.

For most of my life, I have experienced fleeting moments. In the moment, it is fantastic to feel the joy. However, from a human perspective, or a better way of putting it, by human strength, we go up and down from joy to sadness, joy to anger, joy to disappointment, and joy to--place any negative emotion you have experienced here. You get the point. These are only moments in time. 

A Better Way To Experience Joy!

There is a much better way to experience joy: through the strength of our Lord! 

Joy is defined here from the Lexham Bible Dictionary as - Joy(שִׂמְחָה, simchah; χαρά, chara). Closely related to gladness and happiness, although joy is more a state of being than an emotion, a result of choice. One of the fruits of the spirit (Gal 5:22–23).

Having joy is part of the experience of being a Christian. 

At first glimpse, this may seem impossible to understand. But this is how God wants us to appreciate His gift of joy for us as His children and imagers. C. S. Lewis called joy an "unsatisfied desire which is itself more desirable than any other satisfaction." He labels it "joy" and says that it "must be sharply distinguished both from happiness and from pleasure" (Lewis, 17–18). Lewis found joy because he found God as its source.(1)

As Born Again believers, the Spirit of God is always with us! He will never leave us nor forsake us! This is His faithful promise to us; we know God does not lie. We lean on His strength through life's trials and tribulations. Again, this choice is available to us every moment of every day. 

Let's take a brief look at two passages that most Bible-reading Christians have read about the perspective of God's joy in both the Old and New Testaments:

Then he said to them, "Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength." [Neh 8:10 ESV]

And:

These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. [Jhn 15:11 ESV]

Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. 

Yes, Jesus did experience much joy here. I dare say He created joy, this joy that we, as faithful Christians, all strive for in Him. Unfortunately, too many religious people are not fun to be with. Looking at Jesus’ life, “He was the desired guest at weddings and other events that sinners attended. His joy caused him to be attractive and have favor in relationships. He set an example for us to live uncompromisingly in the world and do so with joy.”(2)

C.S. Lewis sums it up best. At the end of his autobiography, C. S. Lewis captures the essence of joy both as a by-product of earthly life with Christ and as a foretaste of the Christian’s eternal life with the Savior.(3)

So, let us choose Joy, a splendid Fruit of the Spirit given to us to persevere through life’s trials and tribulations through His Almighty Strength!

Joy, Joy, Joy, the Joy of the Lord is our strength!

To learn more about cultivating the gift of joy in your life, visit this article.

Sources:

(1) Leland Ryken et al., Dictionary of Biblical Imagery (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2000), 464.

(2) Possessing Joy: A Secret to Strength and Longevity, Backlund, Steve

(3) Leland Ryken et al., Dictionary of Biblical Imagery (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2000), 466.