Joy is about the big picture

Joy is not a commonly used expression. Aside from it being used as a name or talked about during Advent, you rarely hear people say, “I’m feeling joyous!” Happiness better captures what joy otherwise would. Think for a moment right now, are you happy?

I’ve always had a hard time answering this question. It's challenging for me because I’m far more of a feeler than a thinker. At any given moment, my feelings are as unpredictable as Minnesota weather. Snowing one minute, raining the next. For both the feeler and the thinker, happiness is often hijacked by what’s happening right now.

Can a person be happy while experiencing something unpleasant? Is it a lie to tell someone you're happy when you’re clearly struggling?

This brings us to the 3rd week of Advent: Joy (or happiness). The angels appear in the shepherds’ field to announce something they ought to be happy about. “And the angel said to them, 'Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.” Luke 2:10. The shepherds were scared out of their minds and told they had something to be happy about. Seems like a mixed message.

Notice the future tense in the underlined portion of the verse. “Joy that will be.” This is why the Jesus follower can honestly say, “I am happy,” even in the midst of something unpleasant. Why? Because Christian joy is about the big picture, not the moment. It would be accurate to say something like, “right now I am sad, but overall, I’m happy.” This is true because you know the whole story. Even if you’re not happy (or joyful) right now, you can be, because you know what’s coming.

For the joy set before him, he endured the cross, scorning its shame… Hebrews 12:2