Do you remember that children’s song, “J-O-Y, joy in the holy ghost”? I remember singing this song as a child during our sabbath class recitals. We would all belt on top of our lungs, “Don’t let nobody steal you joy!” But then we grow up and we forget what joy is. We forget the feeling of just being happy.
By definition, joy is an emotion of great delight or happiness that is caused by something good or satisfying. If we look at it from a biblical perspective, it is seen as the same feeling of good pleasure and happiness, but this time it is focus on who Jesus is rather than what is happening around us. Sometimes we focus on the temporary happiness, like the leaves turning to the beautiful colors of fall, getting a new job, finding a new partner, or eating at our favorite restaurant. But I’ve come to realize that life is too unpredictable to base our emotions on the temporary things around us.
This month I have the pleasure of working with children, and it gives me so much joy just watching them enjoying their carefree lives. Even when they are sick, they still have so much joy. It’s as if they know that their illness is temporary, and they are in the presence of someone that has been a consistent source of happiness for them. They are some how able to still smile through the pain and the challenges of being in an unfamiliar place with strangers, because they know this place is temporary.
This has been a learning process for me. Trying to learn from these little ones, that most of lives challenges are temporary but walking with God is permanent. It is so easy to complain about the different situations that arise every day. We complain about having to wake up early, or having to cook meals, having to drive too far, or even having to go out with friends, instead of focusing on the fact that we have these things in our lives. We focus on the situations and not the fact that we have a God that is directing our lives. And this is where we lose our joy and become bitter and complain about everything. Recognizing who God is in our lives will allow us to experience this joy; not just the temporary happiness that fades, but the constant feeling of delight because we know God.
Knowing who God is and what he’s capable of, should give us the comfort and constant joy that the world is missing. Even in the midst of adversity, just thinking about the privilege we have to talk with our creator is like hearing your favorite Christmas song on the radio – but this feeling lasts forever. It’s really hard for me to explain the feeling of this joy in the Lord. It’s something that has to be experienced. But once you’ve experienced it, it’s for us to share it with others. With all the wars and devastation that’s happening, people are losing their joy and their hope. We have so much sadness at our fingertips that we forget that God is still in control. So, despite your circumstances don’t let anyone steal your joy!