Pursuing joy in and out of season requires we hold onto God in the “hard” of this life.
Does joy come easily for you? Or is joy “reserved” for people whose bubbly personalities come by it naturally?
Consider this: have you ever met a person named Joy with a dour personality or continuously negative mindset!?
For many of us, joy comes easily when good things happen.
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Infants giggle.
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A graduate crosses the stage in a flowing black robe—beaming with pride for the piece of paper tucked neatly into their embossed black folder.
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A son jumps into his mama’s arms after his last day of kindergarten.
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Sunshine in January.
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An unexpected visit.
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Good food in the company of beloved people.
But where does joy reside when kids get sick, or friends turn their backs?
Where is joy when tears fall—when the hurts outweigh the hopes?
Why is joy elusive when this life’s hard presses in and aims at who God is and Whose we are?
Joy’s silence is deafening when brokenness and pain come tumbling down on our reality.
The Source of Joy
One January, I welcomed “joy” as my word for the year. Despite having reservations about choosing one word to orient an entire year, joy became my pursuit and hospitable companion.
I discovered that joy isn’t at all what I thought it was. And its power to enable the good work God has begun—beyond my understanding.
Joy is a long-haul fruit of God’s Holy Spirit that has nothing to do with our circumstances—or our personality.
The Apostle Paul teaches in Romans 5 that joy is the result of being made right by God when we place our faith in Jesus as Lord.
Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of underserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory. Romans 5:1-2
Sounds simple, right? Give life to Jesus and all is well.
Not so much.
Like all the fruits of God’s Spirit, pursuing joy in and out of season requires that we hold onto God—even in the ‘hard’ of life.
Joy In and Out of Season
There are seasons in which joy grows differently and at varying paces.
Spring’s joy grows in the anticipation of what’s to come. Summer joy erupts unprompted, surrounded by all the “feels” of sunshine and life is good. In the Fall, joy comes quietly in cooler mornings and at a slowing pace. Winter joy reminds us that joy’s growth isn’t always obvious; it’s that abiding reassurance that God works in us and through us ‘even though.’
Later in Romans 5, Paul continues:
We can rejoice too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how God dearly loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love. Romans 5:3-5
Joy is neither defined nor released by what’s going on around us.
Joy is the result of practiced choices no matter our circumstances or season.
How Do We Pursue Joy In and Out of Season?
1. Read God’s story (The Bible)—often. Joy grows when we remember who God is and Whose we are.
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Work through a devotional.
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Read a Psalm or a Proverb each day.
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Join a reading plan on the YouVersion App.
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Read and read the Scripture passage from that week’s sermon.
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Not sure where to start reading the Bible? Begin with John’s Gospel—a chapter each day.
2. Express gratitude—regularly. Joy grows in the soil of a thankful heart.
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Make a daily list of 10 ways you’ve seen God at work in your life.
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Make a daily list of 10 ways you’ve seen God at work in someone else’s life.
Sounds cliché, but it’s true that joy has more room for expression when it’s not crowded out by discontent or the want of something else.
3. Slow down—intentionally. Joy grows in the slow.
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Take a walk.
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Here’s a crazy idea: slow your drive. (This one has been a big undertaking!)
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Lean in and listen to people intently. What do you hear? Where is God calling you to remain present?
Joy is not for the privileged or the few.
The pursuit of joy in and out of season is the direct result of practiced choices in our mind, body, and soul.
Pursuing joy is more than choosing a word for the year.
It is a gift from our God who longs to supply joy generously—to us, in us, and through us, no matter our season or circumstance.
A New Resource for Choosing Joy
DON’T MISS THIS!
Joy: In & Out of Season Podcast is my limited-edition podcast. (Find the link below.)
Join me as we travel the pathways of four joy-fueled friends from the Bible. Their stories, like ours, unfold circumstances well beyond their control. Sometimes, realities arise at the hands of others’ choices. At other times, their own choices muddy the journey to joy.
In all of it, the God of their stories and ours says:
I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow! John 15:11, NLT
Link for Joy: In & Out of Season limited-edition podcast. Search by my name or Joy In & Out of Season. Available on most platforms including Apple and Spotify.