Joy in Christ

Psalm 16:11 “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.”

I read a pastor’s comments how It grieves him that the world has believed the lie that God is mean and narrow, a killjoy who thwarts our happiness. Even many Christians have succumbed to this lie. Many walk around with sad countenances and sorrowful attitudes.

He explained how God originally planned for our lives to be full of joy and free from sorrow. In the beginning, God created a man and a woman, and placed the in the Garden of Eden. Eden” is a Hebrew word transliterated as “a garden of delight, a garden of pleasure.” I didn’t know that. At the beginning, God created a garden of delight and pleasure and put Adam & Eve there so that humankind might share His joy.

Our focus is too much on ourselves and where we believe joy comes from (people, places and things that we want), and not enough on what God has really done for us all. Though humankind disobeyed God, bringing sin and sorrow into the world, God didn’t give up on His plan of Salvation for us. Instead, He gave His Son so that we might have another chance to live joyfully again. Through His life, Jesus showed us the meaning of joy.

He stated that while the Bible never says that Jesus laughed, we can surmise that He did. Furthermore, Jesus wept in our place because He took on our sin and our guilt, and His sorrow became our joy. The joy of our forgiveness, redemption and salvation. The shortest verse in the Bible is “Jesus Wept”. The second shortest is “Rejoice evermore.” Did you know that? Jesus wept on our behalf so that we might experience His joy, the joy that God bestows on us. Jesus said, “I have spoken these things to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full” – John 15:11.

Through His sacrifice, Jesus has made joy available to all the world. Can the people around you see Christ’s joy in you? If they do, they’ll want some of it and that would change the world. So allow God to instill a joyful attitude in you, whatever the challenges you face. Joy is a fruit of the Spirit, and something that everyone seeks. 

Joy, in Christ, Brian