This is Day 5 of The Unexpected Gifts of Pain, a 5-day blog and audio series designed to help you find God’s treasures in the darkness (Isaiah 45:3). Each day we’re exploring one gift God offers in the midst of pain and hardship, along with practical strategies to reclaim peace, hope, and joy. Today, we’re unwrapping God’s Gift of Joy. Check out the post below or click play to listen in!
Last night my husband was playing Joy to the World (Unspeakable Joy) by Chris Tomlin on his guitar in preparation for the Christmas Eve service. The chorus of the song goes like this:
Joy, unspeakable joy
An overflowing well
No tongue can tell
Joy, unspeakable joy
Rises in my soul, never lets me go
When was the last time you experienced that kind of joy? A joy that couldn’t be captured in words? An overflowing joy that filled you to the brim and made you want to burst out in song? It seems that many of us have lost our joy because, like peace, we’ve anchored it in the wrong things. We’ve linked our joy to our kids, careers, circumstances, or current emotional state.
Joy is not the absence of sadness, nor is it circumstantial (that’s happiness). Like peace, joy is a fruit of the Spirit that is cultivated the more we fix our eyes on Christ.
Joy is characterized by contentment and satisfaction in even the most difficult situations. It grows as we learn to trust, obey, and express thankfulness to God. When we truly believe Christ is enough we can be content whatever our circumstances.
In James 1:2-3 he writes, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.” He is not telling us to have joy in response to the trial itself, but in knowing the outcome. Just as women endure the pain of childbirth because they know the joy of motherhood lies on the other side, we can experience joy in the midst of suffering because we know eternal life with Jesus exists on the other side.
Fullness of joy is found in the presence of Jesus (Psalm 16:11). This side of heaven, we receive only a taste, yet that taste is enough to sustain us and to produce within us an insatiable hunger for more of Him.
God is always present, even though it may not always feel that way. If God feels distant, know that it is normal to go through spiritual dry spells. Continue to draw near to God anyway. Don’t let the doubt of whether you’ll be met with silence keep you from coming to Him. Just like the teacher is quiet during a test, silence doesn’t mean God doesn’t hear you—He’s just waiting for the right time to act.
Like Paul, the more we desire to know Christ, including the power of his resurrection and participation in His sufferings, the more we will be drawn to Him (Phil 3:10-11). As we seek His presence, a question worth asking is, “Am I fully present?” Is my mind fixed on Him or am I distracted by my phone? Am I open to hearing what He has to say? Am I willing to obey and follow the Spirits’ leading or am set on doing things my way?
“Before every man there lies a wide and pleasant road that seems right but ends in death.” Proverbs 14:12 TLB
Finding the path God designed for you rather than following in the world’s footsteps requires attentiveness and a willingness to set our plan aside so we can discern and pursue His. This is where true joy and fulfillment are found.
Putting it into Practice: As a free gift to you for completing this series, I’ve written an e-book, Chasing Joy – A 5-Part Study on the Book of Philippians to Find Peace and Joy that Lasts. Download your free e-book here (or click the image below) and work through it at your own pace. (P.S. I’m looking for a few people to give me feedback on the study. If you’re interested, please let me know!)
As we close out this series, I want to encourage you not to give up! God is working a great purpose through your pain! In the words of Paul, “the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us” (Romans 8:18).
Hold on to God’s promise that, after we have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you (1 Peter 5:10).
May we press on toward the goal of knowing and becoming more like Jesus as we wait in holy anticipation for the fullness of joy that is to come!
2 thoughts on “The Gift of Joy”
I always try to look at what we have waiting for us in eternity to ignite joy when I’m feeling bad. The thought of worshiping Him & being in His glory always changes my mood!
Ceasonne, That is wonderful that you are able to see things from an eternal perspective when your current situation is difficult or painful. Pouring out our hearts to God is a way to shift from grief to praise. I am so glad to hear that the thought of being with Him improves your mood and allows you to experience joy! I hope this series has been helpful for you and that you are blessed by the Chasing Joy Bible Study!