5 Ways to Experience Joy

Do you need a refreshment of joy? Are you in such a place where the things of the world such as riches, notoriety, or power, are at last realized as fleeting and you yearn for what is authentic, true, and lasting? Joy differs from happiness in that happiness can be a conditional flash of emotion, whereas joy is a deeply rooted constant that is obtained through God. Joy is a gift of God you can experience in a myriad of ways, and it is something that cannot be taken from you—even in the most trying circumstances.

Joy in the Truth of God

We can find constant peace and joy in knowing that the Lord is exactly Who He says He is, and that is never changing. Hebrews 13:8 reminds us of this fact that He is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Rick Warren once concluded and shared of joy that, “Joy is the settled assurance that God is in control of all the details of my life, the quiet confidence that ultimately everything is going to be alright and the determined choice to praise God in every situation.” When we stop assigning joy to the category of happiness, we can then experience the peace that flows from knowing no matter how difficult the storm is around us that He is ever present and can be trusted as faithful. There are two constants in this lifetime; change and the Lord, so let us cling unswervingly to the One Who does not change.

Joy in Any Circumstance

When your joy is forged in God, the joy you have in your heart and spirit is not dependent upon your circumstances. Life can be full of wins, exciting adventures, and surges of sunlit hope, but life can also be daunting, touched by sorrow, and met with streams of grief. Even in the shadow-stricken days, joy can still exist amid all that is occurring. Ultimate reality is not what we can see, touch, and feel, rather it is the firm assurance that the joy of the Lord is present no matter the circumstances. We can enter a steadfast position of joy no matter the present conditions of your life. David knew this full well, and whether he was fleeing from the ruthless rage of Saul, the star-lit splendor of a meadow filled with sheep under his watch, or the established seat of the Throne of Israel, he had joy in every second because of his Lord.

Joy in the Mourning and Trials

King David indeed experienced a full portion of what life can offer, in both victory and in despair. Through the Psalms we can relate to his depth of feeling and emotion, but we can also become inspired by the life he led and how he saw God move on his behalf. Psalm 30:5 reminds us that, “Weeping may last for the night, but a shout of joy comes in the morning.” Most all of us can relate to nights where we have cried ourselves to sleep, where we have ached within so deeply it is shocking that our bodies still have the capacity for the function of breath, but as David reminds us there is a joy that can come in the morning. That dawn may not be a literal span of hours after, but there is a hope that morning will come and with it a newfound joy peeking through to dry our tears and to surround us with a warm embrace of hope to come. Joy is also a choice we can make. James 1:2-4 reminds us that we can count it all as joy, even the trials for they serve a greater purpose in our lives, “Consider it all joy, my brothers and sisters, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” Trials will come no matter how rich, how successful, or how powerful you may be, there is no avoiding them. When trials do come forward instead of adopting a victim mentality and succumbing to the depths of wallowing sadness within, we can count them as joy because it is through such trials that our perseverance grows, and in that we mature, we learn, and we become refined by the fire. We can count it all as joy, the mountain tops and the valleys, for all serve a purpose in the span of the story of life.

Joy from God’s Strength

Nehemiah 8:10 reminds us that, “Do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your refuge.” and something we can hold firm to when we feel our own inner strength dwindling. We are but flawed humans made of flesh and bone with a spirit and soul within, and as such we are in need of a Savior. Through Christ we can find true salvation and in Him the strength to endure whatever comes our way. In the saying that the joy of the Lord is our strength we are recalling that it is not something within of our own cultivating or doing, but rather through the Spirit of God that we can find that strength and joy in the process.

Joy in Good Gifts from our Father

Matthew 7:10-11 reminds us He is a Good Father Who loves to give good gifts, “Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? So if you, despite being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!” Joy can also be experienced in en-joying the sweet favor-filled gifts of the Lord. This life is not just for toil or sacrifice, it brings Him joy to bless His children (us). Remember that He is the Giver of all good things.

May your joy run over from the Source, and may you experience this joy from this world into the next.