Rethink Joy

It's the most wonderful time of the year, or so they say. For many, this season of hope, peace, and joy is anything but those three things. Maybe it's the busyness, trying to make everything perfect and get everyone that extra special gift. Maybe it's the loved one who is missing at the table this year. Maybe it's a relationship problem or an illness. Whatever it is, you are having trouble finding the joy that is supposed to be present at Christmas.

It's time for us rethink joy. If you watch Christmas television commercials, you will see that joy is the pleasure of getting or giving that perfect gift, or you might see joy as sitting around a table feasting on the scrumptious Christmas ham and all the fixings. If you watch the sappy Christmas movies, you will see that joy is found in romance and finding the "magic" of Christmas that the world promises. Walk through many American small towns and you will see that joy comes from enjoying the beautiful decorations and parades on a blustery, snowy night.

While all of these things can leave us with a sense of happiness, they are not truly where joy is found. True joy is found in only one place - Jesus. There is no better way I can think to describe it other than the lyrics to the age old song, "Joy to the world, the Lord is come! Let earth receive her king!" This joy is not the fleeting feeling we get when we give and receive gifts or enjoy family and friends or bask in the glow of Christmas lights. No, this joy is an everlasting joy. It is a joy that stays throughout the year, not just for a season.

Remember how this joy came to us—in a dirty barn, wrapped in scraps of cloth, and laid in a feeding trough. Jesus didn't come with shiny bows and twinkling lights. He didn't come in a palace fit for a king, although He had every right to. He came to show us that joy isn't flashy; it's not the fake joy that the world promises us. And remember this—joy and happiness are not the same thing. Happiness is a feeling, joy is a way of life. Happiness is fleeting, joy stays. Happiness comes from external circumstances, joy comes from within.

So if you are having trouble finding joy this Christmas season, rethink what joy really is. Then lean on these promises of God: 

"You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart" (Jeremiah 29:13).

"But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well" (Matthew 6:33). 

Seek after Jesus, the true source of joy. When you hear the phrase "the joy of Christmas," rethink what that really means. Then remember that this joy came at Christmas, not just for that time, but for all time. Once you find this joy, it cannot be taken from you. 

Then you can sing with new eyes, "Joy to the world, the Lord is come!' He's come into my life and given me the true joy for all eternity! Amen and amen!