Looking for Joy

Thoughts for the third week of Advent

Since the Advent theme this week is “joy,” I’ve been pondering joy and looking for evidence of it around me. Here’s my conclusion: It’s everywhere, if you’re willing to recognize it. I noticed the word “joy” in songs, Scripture, and in the stores where I shop. I saw joyful Christmas decorations and Christmas lights around our neighborhood; I watched joyful children run out of school at the end of the school day; I laughed with joyful friends at Christmas parties.

I thought about all the ways I’ve pursued joy over the course of my life:

• Climbing mountain peaks

• Exploring tidepools

• Walking through meadows full of wildflowers

• Sipping a perfect cup of coffee on a lazy Saturday morning

• A long lunch with a good friend

• Waking up to a completely unscripted day

• Time with my husband

• A meandering walk in a pretty place, all by myself

But there’s a problem that comes with looking for joy. During some seasons of life, you can do all the things that are supposed to bring joy, and they don’t work. The problems come with you into the mountain meadows, or the long walks, or the lazy Saturday morning. Suddenly, the source of joy becomes a frustrating reminder that you’re stuck in your annoying life, with your unsolvable problems, and there seems to be no escape. What do you do then? How can you find joy when circumstances are anything but joyful?

I think it begins by recognizing there’s a difference between external things that bring you joy, and the type of joy that comes from within.

The first type is insatiable, always looking for the next amazing thing to behold. Pursuing that type of joy is often a lot of fun and creates interesting memories, but it’s temporary. It generally doesn’t come with benefits that last longer than the experience itself.

The joy that comes from within is found in an entirely different way. It doesn’t involve going anywhere or doing anything other than being willing to entertain the idea of joy and the possibility that it can be experienced any time, in any place, in any circumstance. True joy costs nothing other than the willingness to participate.

How do you find this type of joy? It has absolutely nothing to do with things, or stuff, or acquiring. I think the best way to find joy is to not focus on the world at all, but to focus on God and what He tells us.

God says you are loved, accepted, wanted, and treasured. Do you believe it? I think the more you believe He loves you and has good plans for you, the more likely you are to trust Him and follow Him so you can discover new things—like deeper levels of joy. Galatians 5:22 tells us joy is a fruit of the Spirit, just like peace, hope, gentleness, and self-control. As you seek the Holy Spirit and follow Him, one of the results of your efforts will be joy.

Nehemiah 8:10 says the joy of the Lord is our strength. So, if we focus on doing the things that give God joy—reading the Bible, aligning our hearts and our lives with the truths of God’s Word (instead of following what our culture teaches us), worshipping Him, praying, and spending time seeking Him—that’s where we will find strength.

While joy can be cultivated by seeking God in an active and intentional way, many times I’ve experienced a sudden, inexpressible rush of joy that seemed to come from nowhere. Peace and contentment filled my heart, giving me a deep sense of joy that made no sense because I was just sitting in my office cube, or in the car, or doing dishes at the sink—and the sudden joy nearly left me breathless. The joy of God’s presence. What a gift!

King David experienced this and wrote about it in Psalm 16:11: “… in (God’s) presence there is fullness of joy.” When we seek God’s presence, we will find joy—and not just a little, but the fullness of it. Take a minute to imagine what that “fullness of joy” might look like and feel like in your daily life. Now, consider the fact that when we seek Him, God often delivers far beyond our imaginations.

Here’s a little assignment: As you go through this week, look for the times you see joy around you. Notice the word “joy” online, in ads, and in Christmas carols. Type “joy” into biblegateway.com and read through the verses that come up—there are pages! Take note of when you feel joy and contentment in your heart—what are you doing at that moment? Is that joy being intentionally cultivated, or was it an unexpected gift? Thank God for it.

Let’s make this a week of recognizing, seeking, and resting in the gift of joy.

Want to read more about joy? Here’s an article I wrote several years ago about pursuing joy.