[I originally gave this talk in chapel service for kids ranging from kindergarten to 8th grade.]
Joy is so much more than happiness. Happiness is no homework one night. Or when the teacher lets you go outside for the class period. Or when you get an extra helping of dessert. But that’s not quite what joy is all about.
Scripture tells us over and over again to make joy a habit. Paul writes in 1 Thess. 5:16 to “Rejoice always.” Philippians 4:4 similarly says, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.” Also, Psalms 118:24 reminds “This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” So if today is a day that God made—and it is—then we should rejoice. Always. All the time.
That’s why joy goes beyond happiness and our warm bubbly experiences. Happiness fades when you DO have homework. Or your teacher says you have to stay inside today. Or when you don’t get a second helping of dessert. Happiness fades but joy is forever. Joy takes constant work to becomes a whole lifestyle.
Biblical joy is a result of the Spirit, and shows up in our way of living. With joy, we recognize that throughout everything—the good and the bad—Jesus is King. Of course, there are times to weep and there are moments where we can’t put a smile on our faces, but joy can be present even when we aren’t happy. Christian joy remains no matter what because it reflects who we are inside. When Jesus shapes our thoughts, actions, and words, our attitudes are marked by joy.
Joy is a fight against the darkness of the world. Theologian Willie James Jennings defines joy as “an act of resistance against despair and its forces.” He continues, “Joy in that regard is a work, that can become a state, that can become a way of life.”
Jennings says you need three things to cultivate joy. First, you need the right people around you. You have to find joyful people and hang out with them. You need a group of people to cheer you on as you grow joy inside yourself.
Second, you need a willingness to “hold on to life” despite whatever troubles arise. You have to be stubborn–but in a good way. You have to refuse to let the bad stuff of life takeaway your joy.
Third, you need the right spaces and rituals to produce joy. Find the places that give you joy instead of take it away, so you can recharge your joy-batteries. Also find practices that help you stay calm after a bad day. One of the best rituals for producing joy is music, both us singing out and us taking it in.
Believers in God see the endgame, so we have reason to not worry and to rejoice! God has promised a future Kingdom where there is no sorrow. One day, God will wipe away every tear. So with that Kingdom in our sights, it changes our attitudes in the here and now, producing in us the fruit of joy. Joy is our chief weapon against all the bad, sorrowful, and terrible stuff in the world. That’s why we must grow in our joy.
