What is Joy?

Beloved Kinney,

As we are working through this sermon series called Common Lies of Our Age, this past
Sunday we tackled a lie that contains some truth: “God wants me to be happy.” That’s
only true when we properly define happiness.

I quoted from the book The Gospel According to Satan by Jared Wilson, who helps us
understand what true happiness (joy) really is. He says, “Joy is the music that plays
when our hearts are tuned to the frequency of God’s glory and our connection to it. Joy
is the heart’s settled and worshipful contentment in our justification with God. Joy is the
conviction that, no matter the sadness of our circumstances or the weakness of our
bodies, we are secure in the sovereign God who loves us…Happiness [as defined by
our culture] is dependent upon our circumstances. Joy [as defined in the Bible] is
dependent upon our Savior.” (Wilson, 21)

Do you have joy? It’s not an option for Christians. It’s a matter of obedience. Philippians
4:4 commands us to “Rejoice in the Lord always!” To say that “God doesn’t care about
our joy, he only cares about our obedience” is like saying “I don’t care so much for
apples, I only like fruit.” An apple is a fruit! Joy is obedience!

But how do we cultivate it? How do we pursue it?

Let me encourage you to read the book When I Don’t Desire God: How to Fight for Joy by John Piper. This book will help you learn to get serious about joy!

Love,
Pastor Josh