Joy

 

 

 

It doesn’t seem right that you can die of thirst in the middle of the ocean. You’re surrounded by water but you can’t drink it because it has too much salt. Your brain tells you that it’s water but if you drink it you’ll die because seawater isn’t what the body needs.

 

Our spirits seek joy because they are made in the image of God who is joy. Some people misinterpret that search for joy as a search for happiness. They turn to possessions or drugs or any one of a number of worldly pleasures seeking happiness. They wind up feeling empty because what their spirit is searching for is joy and not mere happiness.

 

The Christian life is meant to be a joyful one. God loves us and He has blessed us beyond our ability to comprehend. He wants to us enjoy his blessings. This is not to say that our lives will be perfect or that we will not have times of sadness. We should, though, have an underpinning of joy in our lives that comes from our personal relationship with God. This is more than mere happiness which can be fleeting and superficial.

 

Paul wrote to the Thessalonians, “Be joyful always; pray continuously; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thess 5:16-18). These words were written to people who were being persecuted, even to the point of death.  Their lives were precarious because of their profession of faith in Jesus.  Having a joyful and thankful heart in the midst of these circumstances was an act of faith made possible by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.