The English translation of the word joy is found 218 times in scripture. One of the Greek translations of the word is chara, which means "rejoicing, gladness, delight." This word gives the picture of a celebration! People sometimes have this wacky idea that if something brings you happiness, laughter, or enjoyment, it's wrong. They view God as someone standing in Heaven with his arms crossed ready to smush you if you so much as crack a smile. This couldn't be farther from the truth. God created joy! He is the creator of laughter and humor. God created us to glorify Him by enjoying Him forever! We are joyful when we have the Truth of God and experience a relationship with Him. Joy comes from knowing that all the things in this life are temporary, but we are destined for a heavenly place for eternity with the King of Kings.
It dawned on me that so many people pursue joy, when what they should be pursuing is the author of joy. In John 15: 8-11 Jesus says, "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete." We enjoy God by loving him, worshipping him, and obeying him. Notice that this verse doesn't encourage us to seek things in life to have joy. Jesus tells us to seek God. Only then will we find the kind of joy we were created to have in Christ. Notice too what the source of joy is: Christ himself. When we sincerely follow Jesus and submit our lives to him, he gives us such great joy that nothing on earth can even come close! "Send forth your light and your truth, let them guide me; let them bring me to your holy mountain, to the place where you dwell. Then will I go to the altar of God, to God, my joy and my delight. I will praise you with the harp, O God, my God." (Psalm 43:3-4)
It dawned on me that so many people pursue joy, when what they should be pursuing is the author of joy. In John 15: 8-11 Jesus says, "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete." We enjoy God by loving him, worshipping him, and obeying him. Notice that this verse doesn't encourage us to seek things in life to have joy. Jesus tells us to seek God. Only then will we find the kind of joy we were created to have in Christ. Notice too what the source of joy is: Christ himself. When we sincerely follow Jesus and submit our lives to him, he gives us such great joy that nothing on earth can even come close! "Send forth your light and your truth, let them guide me; let them bring me to your holy mountain, to the place where you dwell. Then will I go to the altar of God, to God, my joy and my delight. I will praise you with the harp, O God, my God." (Psalm 43:3-4)
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