Finding Joy

The four Sundays during Advent remind us of hope, love, joy aare easy things for me to embrace and peace comes when I wrap my thoughts in hope and love.  Joy should be something that comes naturally but we let other things get in the way of our joy.  When I think of joy, I think of an abundance of happiness that is overflowing!  According to the dictionary, the definition of joy is “a feeling of great pleasure and happiness.”  It isn’t just a smile or being happy. In fact some of the synonyms of joy are jubilation, triumph, exultation and exuberance.

We experience the JOY at Christmas through the birth of Jesus.  Later on in Jesus’ life he spoke these words in John 15:11, “These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.”   The world doesn’t always encourage your heart to be full and overflowing with joy.  So, how do you maintain that level of joy that goes beyond just being content or happy?   How do you have joy if you are in a season of pain?  I believe that we must remember that joy isn’t only at Christmas.  It is for all seasons in our life.  Happiness is something we have in the moment, but joy is continual and can overcome so much more.  Joy goes deeper than our circumstances and flows stronger than a mere happy moment.  Finding joy in ordinary things helps us to remember to thank God for those hidden gems.

When Jesus was leaving this Earth, he left his disciples with some important words. John 16:20b says, “You will grieve, but your grief will be turned into joy.”  The Christmas season may be painful and hard to see joy because you are grieving the loss of a loved one, dealing with a difficult person, having financial problems, or unhappy in a work situation.  Things like this can affect your joy even after the Holiday season.  If we can turn around and look at our situation from a different point of view, we can see how God is working in us.  When we lose a loved one, we can remember the joyous times. It may still hurt (a lot) but maybe it teaches us how to have more joy with those still around us.  Dealing with a difficult person, a joy stealer, makes us realize that it isn’t the kind of person we want to be.  It might teach you to be more of a joy giver because the joy stealer isn’t fun to be around.  Finding joy in the difficult times or in ordinary things helps us to have continual joy that is abundant and overflowing.

James 1:2 says, “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.”  Some of us should be able to run a marathon with that much joy, right??  Be happy, but be more joyful.  Share joy with people this Christmas and find your own joy in ordinary things.  Remember the joy of holding a little child and know that you are that child that God is holding in His arms each day.  Merry Christmas to you all and may you find hope, love, JOY and peace!