BONUS: Marked by Joy

“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

The odds are pretty good that you will sing “Joy to the World” at a Christmas service this season. It’s a classic Christmas carol with a great reminder of why we have joy.

Joy to the world, the Lord is come!

Let earth receive her King!

These simple words explain the reason for our joy as Christians: Jesus has come. But how do we live with joy in a world with such real suffering? 

Max Lucado talks about two different types of joy: contingent joy and courageous joy. Contingent joy is based on our circumstances and how things are going in life. Courageous joy is based in Jesus and is with us no matter what we’re facing. 

Contingent joy focuses on the situational; courageous joy focuses on the eternal. 

Joni Eareckson Tada is an author, speaker, and artist who was paralyzed as a teenager as a result of a diving accident. She says her joy comes from knowing that “God permits what he hates to accomplish what he loves.” She’s focused on the eternal. 

Joy is one of the attributes the world sees in us and doesn’t understand; it’s a great testimony, especially when it’s displayed in the hard places of life. Let’s pray for our kids to be marked by joy, not just at Christmas but at all times, because it’s not based on today but eternity. 

Joy to the world, the Lord has come!

Jesus, you are the reason we have joy. In complete humility, you came to earth as a baby, to pay the price for our sins so that we might live eternally. Reveal in [name] a joy that’s rooted not in their circumstances but in you alone.

God’s word speaks: Philippians 4:4; Psalm 118:24; 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18; Romans 12:12