Before I jumped into a week focused on Joy, I wanted to get a handle on what exactly it is we are studying... there has been A LOT to say about Joy in the Christian world.
Is Joy being happy all the time and never feeling sorrow or grief?
Is Joy the feeling of belonging we have with people who love us?
Is Joy exclusive to God?
I honestly didn’t know.
It turns out the actually word used for joy “chara” was not a lot of help on its own. It means to be happy. I might use it to say, I was so chara when the pizza arrived... not a lot of depth or nuance there.
Joy it seems is best understood in scripture as a theme. The theme is this: As children of God we have access to joy that comes from a supernatural and faithful perspective on life, particularly painful or difficult circumstances.
Is Joy the feeling of belonging we have with people who love us?
Is Joy exclusive to God?
I honestly didn’t know.
It turns out the actually word used for joy “chara” was not a lot of help on its own. It means to be happy. I might use it to say, I was so chara when the pizza arrived... not a lot of depth or nuance there.
Joy it seems is best understood in scripture as a theme. The theme is this: As children of God we have access to joy that comes from a supernatural and faithful perspective on life, particularly painful or difficult circumstances.
We have joy in confusion.
We have joy when we are persecuted.
We have joy when we mourn.
Because our dominant perspective on life is that God is working all things together, particularly the painful and dark things, for the good of those who love God.
That doesn’t exclude grief or anger or confusion but it can eclipse it. Our inheritance is to be people who look for that rather than reject it. We embrace the authentic faithful joy inherent in knowing who God is and how God is.
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