May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13

As I write this my heart is heavy with what is happening in Ukraine. The evil of Mr Putin, the savagery of his army and the suffering, death, and destruction of a nation. That this could happen again in our day is mind boggling but I have concluded that the veneer of civilization is very thin. There are times when I just have to turn the news off for my own mental health. It is all too depressing and sad and evil. And there is nothing I can do except pray and contribute to the needs of those displaced.

So what do we do with the concept of joy? I look around and think about my own challenges. As we accumulate years we also accumulate worries, anxiety, and concerns, all of which can mitigate against joy. 

I am convinced that we often have an incorrect definition of joy. We see it as something to pursue because we all want it, but it often remains elusive. We try to buy it with our purchases thinking that the next toy or experience will bring us joy but we find out that it doesn't. We pursue it with our lifestyles but come up deficient. There are moments of joy but they are not lasting. And inevitably something comes along that robs us of the very thing we are pursuing. In the end we confuse joy with happiness which is dependent on our current circumstances. Joy, on the other hand, is a state of being that is not dependent on our circumstances.

Joy is something we all want but many find it elusive. So how do we understand Romans 15:13, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit?”  I want that joy and peace and I want to overflow with hope in a world that lacks hope. How do I get there?

Let me suggest that there are three parts to the answer to this question. The first has to do with the source of joy. In a consumer world, we often buy into the lie that joy can be purchased. I cannot be! If you read Scripture carefully you discover that the source of joy is God Himself. It is not our circumstances, our wealth, our toys, all the good things that happen to us which disappear when all the bad things happen to us. No. The source of joy is not a thing. It is not a circumstance. It is a person - Jesus Christ!

Joy is listed as one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit in Galatians 5:22. If it is a fruit of the Holy Spirit, the only way to truly access it is through the Holy Spirit! In the Psalms there are 57 references to joy and every single one of them is connected to God Himself. Psalm 16:11, for instance, says “You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.” The joy we experience has to do with the presence of God in our lives, not any circumstances we are encountering. Again, in John 15:11, Jesus says, “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.” The source of joy is nothing other than Jesus Himself. This is true of all the references to joy in the Scriptures. They are related to our relationship with God, not the circumstances we live with, good or bad. 

If Jesus is the source of joy it makes sense for us to quit trying to find it in external circumstances. It cannot be found there. It is ultimately only found in God. As CS Lewis said, “Joy is the serious business of heaven.” Only God brings joy. That means if we want to pursue joy, we need to pursue God because He is the only true source of Joy. Again, CS Lewis “If you want to get warm you must stand near the fire: if you want to be wet you must get into the water. If you want joy, power, peace, eternal life, you must get close to, or even into, the thing that has them. They are not a sort of prize which God could, if He chose, just hand out to anyone.” 

I want far less sadness in my life and far more joy in my life. To get there I need to do only one thing: Make it my life long goal to pursue God. My joy is found in Him, and Him alone, and only He has the ability to infuse my life with joy, regardless of the circumstances I face. That is a profound statement. 

If we want joy we need to understand the truth of Hebrews 12:1-3 where we read about Jesus and His joy in the midst of suffering. “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” 

For all of us, joy is a choice and the choice is whether we will pursue joy on our own, trying to find it in all the ways that the world searches for it. Or, whether we will pursue our relationship with God and in the process find the joy that He promises and gives. And, which is not dependent on our circumstances. 

He is the source of true joy. In order to find that joy, He must be our focus. It is always a choice that we make. I struggle deeply with the events of our world, such as Ukraine today. I struggle with the event of my life. But ultimately my joy and your joy are not dependent on any of these external factors. They are dependent on our relationship with our creator who created us for Him. In Him there is joy.

Father, I confess I have often chased after joy in all the wrong places. Yet you offer it to me free of charge, found in a relationship with you. Help me to pursue you better and, in the end, experience far more joy and far less disappointment in my life. Amen.

The Question for Today: Am I chasing after joy by chasing after Jesus?