What is Joy?

While praying in my office at my home, a thought reoccurred that had confused me. I knew joy was one piece of evidence of God’s Spirit in my life. However, in the echo chambers of my mind, I wasn’t sure what joy meant. I have more of a melancholic personality, so it was not my nature to be bouncy, highly sociable, or emotionally giddy. I also understood that since God’s joy is for all to experience, every personality He created would have it yet express it differently. Also, since I felt pleased about my relationship with God, I continued to at least tell myself I had the joy of the Lord. I did so despite not feeling compelled to show the more notorious expressions of joy referenced in the Bible, like shouting, leaping, dancing, etc. While prayer that afternoon, I sensed it was time for me to look this haunting uncertainty straight in the face. I needed to determine if I had God’s joy as much as He expects me to have.

My mind came up with a list of life experiences in which I felt moments of my greatest pleasures. I then reduce that list down to the one pleasure I enjoyed the most. It was snow skiing, even though I was far from a skilled skier. For me, there was nothing as exhilarating as silently and smoothly gliding down a mountainside, soaking in the stunning beauty of snow on the trees, huge rocks, and mountaintops. I had immense pleasure just ruminated on the memorable moments I had experienced.

Alongside that, I laid the pleasure I experienced when I sensed I was in God’s presence, whether it was in church, prayer, Bible study, or wherever. The question then was which type of joy did I love the most. For me, there was no comparison. Being in God’s presence was without doubt when I felt the most exhilarated, at peace with my existence, most confident in who I was, most hopeful about my future, and most significant as a person. I remember at that moment I sensed such a relief being able to say with deep-felt integrity; I know I have the joy of the Lord. This knowledge has brought me increased confidence in my relationship with God as well.      

That experience set me on a quest to redefine God’s joy that would be more consistent with the Bible’s use of the word. From my perspective, Dallas Willard came up with the most Biblically comprehensive and enlightening description of joy. Joy is not a passing sensation of pleasure, but a pervasive sense of well-being that is infused with hope because of the goodness of God. I especially like his words, pervasive sense of well-being that is infused with hope. While I have had that sense in the past, since I have retired, I have sensed it repeatedly welling up within me. The results of that have increased the level of gratitude deep within me, as well as contentment.     

I share this in the blog, hoping it might inspire clarity and confidence in the type of joy you possess deep within you. It offers a heart-felt assurance in your relationship with our God. If you have yet to experience the excellency of that quality of God, just know it is available to all. It comes through a tenacious pursuit of knowing God in an ever-growing, intimate way.

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