Choose Joy by Kay WarrenSample

Day Two

What Is Joy?

Why are we so reluctant to believe that joy can be a reality for us? I can think of several possible reasons. 

The first is that most of us don’t have joy models. We don’t know many people who have bridged the gap between their experience and what Scripture teaches. Most people we look at are swimming, just like us, in deep waters of very little joy. 

Another reason we’re hesitant to believe that joy is within our reach is because we examine our own lives and see how far off we are from the “consider it great joy” response that James speaks of in James 1:2. We say to ourselves, One of these days I’ll go after joy, but not today. I mean, if it falls into my lap, that’s great. But joy is too big a stretch for me right now. 

We conclude that joy is probably not going to happen for us. If it does, it will not be anything we can control. 

As I’ve struggled with depression and pain, I wanted to hold on to a definition of what I believe Scripture teaches about how to live a joyful life—a life beyond happy faces or warm fuzzy feelings or something out of reach.

I’ve written a definition of joy and memorized it so I can remind myself of God’s powerful truths when I’m feeling shaky: 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 all right, and the determined choice to praise God in all things. 

Did you catch that? Joy is a settled conviction ABOUT God. It’s a quiet confidence IN God. And joy is a determined choice to give my praise TO God. 

I know how profoundly my life is changing as I develop a settled conviction about God and his goodness. My confidence in God is growing as I trust that he is working behind the scenes to fit all the details of my life into his good plan. And my determination to give my praise to God is slowly leading me to the joy I’ve always longed for. 

Be still and quiet as you reflect on the definition of joy above. Which words are easiest to accept into your life? Which are the hardest words to receive?