True joy is offered by God and cannot be compared to what the world offers us. The Bible speaks about joy in detail and those who are not saved experience only a temporary joy which depends on their situations at the time.
When things are going great, there is joy and when things are difficult, there is no joy. We read in the book of Job, when one of Job’s friends says, “…the exulting of the wicked is short, and the joy of the godless but for a moment?” (Job 20:5 ESV). There is no true joy except from the one that comes from God.
Here are five things that we can read from the Bible about Joy:
1. Joy is a gift
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness…” (Galatians 5:22 ESV). The Bible says that joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit gives these virtues to the believer. Joy is also a part of the kingdom of God and will exist wherever believers are present, “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:17 ESV).
2. Joy is found in true worship
In the Old Testament, people used to find true joy in the worship of God and when you really love the Lord and worship Him, it gives you a joy, that only He can give. “So there was great joy in Jerusalem, for since the time of Solomon the son of David king of Israel there had been nothing like this in Jerusalem” (II Chronicles 30:26 ESV). Today, when believers dedicate their lives to God and fully trust and believe in the name of His son Jesus Christ, they experience true joy.
3. We find Joy in Doing God’ Will
When we take part in spreading the Gospel it brings joy to the believers. We feel so much joy when someone received the Lord as their personal savior and becomes a follower of Jesus. Paul experienced joy often in his ministry (II Corinthians 1:24, 2:3; Philippians 1:4, 2:2; I Thessalonians 2:19, 20, 3:9).
4. Our Joy Is Not dependent On Our Circumstances
2 Corinthians 6:10, “Christians can even be “sorrowful, yet always rejoicing” (ESV). It means that when we are faced with bad situations, our inner joy is never taken away. We are still rejoicing because God has forgives us from our sins and we have a personal relationship with our Creator. “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness” (James 1:2-3 ESV).
“Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. Likewise you also should be glad and rejoice with me” (Philippians 2:17-18 ESV).
5. Sin Steals Our Joy
Sin can steal our joy and it is not possible to experience joy when we have sinned against God. When we grieve the Holy Spirit by our sin, our joy becomes less and we need to repent and leave our sinful nature to have a good relationship with Jesus Christ and enjoy the joy of the Lord.
6. Christians Should ‘Rejoice Always’
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (ESV). Joy, love, and peace are some of the things that should be in the life of a Christian. We have to cultivate a life of joy and always be content and joyful in all circumstances in our life.