Around this time of year, as we enter the Christmas season, we see and hear the word ‘Joy’ more often than normal. We see it in Christmas decorations, and we hear songs like ‘Joy to the world.’ It is so common that we don’t think much about joy’s true meaning, and how we can obtain it. Let’s do some research, so we won’t miss out on Joy this Christmas.
The word Joy, when used as a noun, means ‘a feeling of great pleasure and happiness’. When Joy is used as a verb, it means ‘rejoice’. Joyful means ‘feeling, expressing, or causing great pleasure and happiness.’
Joy is wonderful. It isn’t hard to see how much it is needed in the world today. There is too much misery, depression, stress, worry, anxiety, prejudice and hate. We can all use some joy, so how can we obtain it? The world says we can obtain joy by having a successful career, money, a big house, a fancy car, going on lavish vacations, and having a lot of social media friends and likes.
Let’s see what God says.
Joyful are people of integrity, who follow the instructions of the Lord. Joyful are those who obey his laws and search for him with all their hearts. They do not compromise with evil, and they walk only in his paths. You have charged us to keep your commandments carefully. Psalm 119:1-3 NLT
God says that we will obtain joy when we have integrity, follow His instructions, and do no evil. So there you have it. The formula for having joy is simple, but it is not always easy to do. We have to consistently work on it, and like anything else, the more we work on it the better we become at it.
Take the time to discuss joy with our children. Ask them how we can obtain joy, and listen to how they respond. Then read the above scripture, and discuss what God says about obtaining true joy.
