I don’t think there is a more joyous sound than the uncontrolled laughter of an infant. Whether it is a game of peek-a-boo, being tickled or the dog is doing something funny.  Baby laughter is the best. This picture is of my middle daughter when she was about 6 years old. I don’t even remember what was going on but the look on her face, that laugh, gets me every time. To me it is the picture of joy.

Joy is one of the words we focus on at Advent Season. And joy is a hard word to define. Most people would put it right alongside the word happy and use them interchangeably. But as we discussed these two words in staff meeting Thursday morning, I believe there is a stark difference. Happy seems to be a surface level emotion. A feeling that is based on externals, circumstances, what we feel when we get what we want or enjoy what is happening. Joy seems to be a much deeper, inner quality. Joy doesn’t depend on situations and circumstance or getting what we want. Joy is an inner quality that finds peace and contentment regardless of what is happening.

Joy is also a rare commodity in today’s world. An article that I was reading this week said, “If America had a national mood, it would be gloom.” It went on to explain that statement by all the negative news in the media. Regardless of the reasons, there seems to be an epidemic of joylessness. CDC reports that suicide rates are the highest ever recorded. So why the doom and gloom.

“But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.”  Luke 2:10 (NIV)

Maybe it is because we are looking for joy or at least happiness in all the wrong places. We are asking things in this life to produce joy when circumstances and situations and even other people were never meant to produce joy. Where does joy come from?  Paul listed joy as one of the Fruit of the Spirit. Fruit that is produced in a person through a relationship with the Holy Spirit. Without the Spirit, these things can’t exist. So, if I am in regular relationship, communion, with God, joy seems to be one of the things that will be produced in all circumstances. That inner quality whose response is always one of praise and rejoicing in the Lord!

“Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.”  Philippians 4:4

CS Lewis in Mere Christianity says, “What Satan put into the heads of our remote ancestors was the idea that they could ‘be like gods’ – could set up on their own as if they had created themselves – be their own masters – invent some sort of happiness for themselves outside of God, apart from God. And out of that hopeless attempt has come nearly all that we call human history – money, poverty, ambition, wars, prostitutions, classes, empires, slavery – the long terrible story of man trying to find something other than God which will make him happy.”

And that is not how God designed things to work. Lewis continues, “God made us: invented us as a man invents an engine. A car is made to run on petrol, and it would not run properly on anything else. Now God designed the human machine to run on Himself. He himself is the fuel our spirits were designed to burn, or the food our spirits were designed to feed on. There is no other. That is why it is just no good asking God to make us happy in our own way without bothering about religion. God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from himself because it is not there. There is no such thing.”

Joy only comes from a relationship with God, where God is allowed to work his will his way in our life. If we want to experience joy, repentance and then obedience to God are great first steps. Holiness is the pathway to joy because it is the environment God resides in.

I still see that face (that’s her sharing a moment with her brother) even today in her mid-20’s. Why? Because her life is so good and everything is working out perfectly? No, she could tell you even on the good days that there are things that aren’t perfect. We all battle emotional lows from time to time. People still disappoint and hurt us sometimes.  But she has found the true source of joy in a relationship with her heavenly father. A joy that is not dependent on circumstances and people but on the goodness of a loving God.

Are you finding joy this season? Look no further, He has been here all along!

“The joy of the Lord is your strength” Nehemiah 8:10