If you were to look up the definition of joy, the Oxford dictionary says that joy is "a feeling of great pleasure and happiness." In the Merriam-Webster dictionary, joy (when used as a noun), is defined as "an emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one desires." Joy (when used as a verb) is defined as "experiencing great pleasure or delight."
But look at how the Bible defines joy. The biblical definition of joy says that joy is a feeling of good pleasure and happiness. It is being dependent on who Jesus is, not on who we are or what is happening around us.
Joy comes from the Holy Spirit, from our abiding in God's presence and from having hope in His Word. In other words, biblical joy is choosing to respond to external circumstances with inner contentment and satisfaction, because we know that God will use these experiences to accompish His work in and through our lives.
Choosing joy is a choice. And it means that you will have opportunities in your life to choose joy, even when the circumstances around you aren't too enjoyable. You may not be happy about the situation, but you can still choose joy.
My wife and I recently had an opportunity to travel to Ontario. We thought we were going to share with a church in northern Ontario about Indian Life Ministries, and the work the Lord is allowing us to be a part of. Finalized plans had just been confirmed when we received an unexpected email. The church was cancelling, and we were now travelling to Ontario for no immediate purpose. With three days to go before we were departing, we sought the Lord.
"We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation." (Romans 5:3–4)
I knew, surely, that the Lord was sending Krystal and me to Ontario for a reason, even if the initial reason was no longer valid. One day before we left, we were invited to share with a small town church. We love small town churches. They feel like home, and it seems that they are always hosting a potluck lunch for some reason or another when we're there. It's great. (As a side note, if you are a small town church, or not, and want to invite us to a potluck, we will come!)
Having an appointment cancelled isn't really a big deal. But it can grow into a heart issue, especially when you have spent hours and money investing in plane tickets and car rentals-and it becomes worse if you were to become frustrated, take that out on your family, and start festering inside. It can rob you of the joy that is available, through Jesus Christ, and that inner contentment and satisfaction is lost.
When you allow external circumstances to rob you of internal peace, you allow happiness to dictate your joy.
Nehemiah 8:10 says, "The joy of the Lord is my strength."
Notice that Nehemiah doesn't say, "When I am happy-and everything is working as I believe it should-then the joy of the Lord can be my strength." No. The joy of the Lord is our strength because God is our only constant. God always was, always is, and always will be. Because God is trustworthy and immovable, He is our strength.
At that small town church, we met an amazing group of people who are passionate about restoring hope, healing, and honor within Indigenous communities in North America, and are hungry to be a part of it. They already are a part of it.
I didn't have to know what God was doing when that initial invitation was cancelled. I just had to trust that God was God-and I was not. And that is something to re–JOY–ce over.
