Hi. Just 7 days until Christmas now. I want to think about the idea of joy. Christmas is a good time to consider joy because the season is always a mixture of feelings in the moment and reflections on the bigger picture of life. From moment to moment, our feelings change. And even now, you might be feeling happy or sad, enthused or depressed, lively or weary. The list goes on. But the result of reflection on the bigger picture is less of an emotion and more a state of being. This is why someone can experience joy in both good times and bad times, easy times and hard times, because they believe the moments have meaning.
We might think of it like this. Happiness is a snapshot. So are all the other feelings. These snapshots represent a moment in time. Something happened and you felt something about it. Snapshot. Our lives have lots of them. But a stack of pictures isn’t a photo album. Usually, photo albums are carefully laid out by someone who wants to tell a story with specially chosen pictures from the stack. When you lay out the snapshots of your life, do you tell a story of joy? Nobody would expect a story of joy to be only snapshots of happiness, but a variety of pictures—recording a full range of experiences and full of meaning—that tell a story of joy. I want to encourage you to tell a story of joy with all your snapshots. Even if you are only telling the story to yourself.
Happiness That’s Been Tested
But how can difficult, challenging, and sometimes sad snapshots tell a story of joy? Because you believe that each of these moments serves a greater purpose. Your life will be one of endurance, learning, growing ability to help others, some setbacks, and then recovery. It could be said that joy is happiness that has been tested. While going through trials is no guarantee of joy, happiness will be fleeting unless it’s built up a resiliency. You could easily become embittered by the difficulties that have happened in your life. But you could also look at how they have shaped you and prepared you for new challenges. You could be discouraged when things don’t go as planned. But you could also accept that you can’t plan out the universe and learn happy improvisation. I understand weakness and disappointment are real parts of our lives. They are a part of mine! But I’m often reminded that strength and encouragement are often just around the corner, too. And if you believe in Jesus, you believe in a guarantee of ultimate victory in your story.
Joy is happiness that has been tested.
“In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” (1 Peter 1:6–9, ESV)
More Snapshots Are Coming
We don’t know what the next snapshots of our lives will be. But there will be more. I’m not sure we can totally control what they will look like. But we do have a say in how to tell their story. At Christmas we think about joy because a baby was born who would become the blessed redeemer and good king. We don’t deserve him, but he came anyway because of God’s own love, mercy, and grace. So whatever way your story goes, you must be pretty special. And that’s a reason for joy.
“And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:10–11, ESV)
Merry Christmas!