I’ve noticed a pattern in my life of being entitled to joy. I believe things are going well when I am joyful in my circumstances. When I am not enjoying my circumstances, I think there is something I need to change or do differently. All good things in life are meant to be enjoyed, right?
Joy can quickly become the measuring stick of how your life is going. For most of us, joy is something we deeply desire. We want so badly to enjoy our husband, kids, home, work, friends, and food that when we don’t, we put on our problem-solving hats and fix our circumstances.
We want all joyful circumstances and no hardship, but that is not what God has prepared for His people—not yet, anyway. That day is coming, but the days in the broken world are guaranteed to be characterized by brokenness. But He doesn’t leave us without hope and joy; we just need to know where to look for it.
This seems heightened at Christmas when traditions and intentions are surely about my joy, right? I don’t set out with that intention by any means, but I am motivated by doing the things that will bring joy to me and the people around me.
But joy isn’t something we’re entitled to, and it isn’t the measuring stick for whether we’re doing things right in our lives. Joy is given to believers in Jesus. We find joy when we come into a relationship with God through faith in Christ. We may experience some forms of enjoyment before then, but it’s not the full, lasting, or complete joy the Bible references.
Elisabeth Elliot penned the famous quote, “The secret of joy is Christ in me, not me in a different set of circumstances.” The measuring stick of our joy should not be our circumstances, but so often, that’s exactly what we use. Are we enjoying our work? When things go well, we continue on as normal. Are we enjoying our family? Then, all is right in the world.
We even say this as encouragement to others, “Enjoy it! It’ll be over before you know it!” What then? Where’s the joy when the object of your enjoyment is gone?
What about lasting joy? What about joy in hard circumstances? Where do you find joy amid life’s chaos? Psalm 16:11 says, “In Your presence, there is fullness of joy.” We find joy in God.
All of the good things in life are given to you by God and for your good, but not necessarily for your enjoyment. He gives you Himself for your enjoyment, and because that is a full, lasting, and complete joy, it can overflow into every area of your life. Joy in Jesus allows us to enjoy our people and work regardless of circumstances or challenges.
Christmas is coined a season of joy, not because of the traditions and memories, but because it’s intended to be a time of remembrance of Christ coming to His people—the moment when joy came to the world.
So, next time you find yourself in a moment or season you are not enjoying, remember where there is fullness of joy, regardless of your circumstances. A season that lacks joy is not a calling to work hard to change your circumstances but rather an indicator that you need to consistently and intentionally seek the presence of God. With Him, you’ll find lasting joy.
And in the moments you enjoy, question the source of joy. If it’s rooted in circumstances, you can be sure it will not last. You can know that it doesn’t hold a candle to the joy found in Jesus. Don’t allow the things you enjoy to distract you from pursuing the presence of God.
Seek joy in Jesus; you’ll find contentment and joy in every season and circumstance.
Brittany K. Miller 