JOY to the World is MORE than a Christmas Song!

As we enter the Christmas season, it is interesting to note the word “joy” and what it means to people.

​I read a disturbing article over the weekend that said people would rather have money than meaningful relationships if they had to decide what makes them the most happy. My question is what happens when the money is gone? Then is the happiness gone as well? And even in relationships with others, know that someday we all will die and meet eternity, what happens even to that happiness?

The official definition of Joy is a feeling of great pleasure or happiness. We know that feelings are basically “decisional emotions” that we choose to focus on. When I think of my life on this earth, I am brought back to the Bible and what it says about where I place my joy and seek for that happiness. It is not in money or things, or even in other people but in Christ alone.

Romans 15:13 says
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

I like how it says, “...the God OF hope” meaning that he is a God who inspires us to have faith to find joy and trust that he is not just able but willing to help us in all areas of our lives.

Hope does not operate apart from trust, in fact, it is the forward looking aspect of faith!
(Matthew Henry Commentary)

If joy is the conscious decision to have happiness in our lives then that is directly connected to hope. Some people hope in their money and that brings them a level of temporary joy. Or others look for that joy in relationship to others on this earth. But the only true and lasting joy is hope in Jesus and the Holy Spirit helping us to not only have hope but to ABOUND in hope leading to us having joy.

Another important thing to consider is the structure of your life when it comes to joy. If the culmination of your happiness and joy in the Lord each week is an hour and a half at church and nothing else, you are going to be in a world of hurt spiritually, mentally and emotionally. We need to be spending time getting to know Jesus each day with the intention not of getting our way but asking for HIS way to be done in us.
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Today is the day to choose joy in life and see challenging circumstances in your life as opportunities for God to show up and show off and trust that he has it all under control!