One Life can Change a Community

When you think of the word joy, what comes to mind? For me it’s simple; I see an image of my children laughing and sharing love. For others, they see their dog or walk in their favorite park after a long day. Sometimes joy shows up in triumph, finishing something tasking, or watching someone you care about accomplish a goal they’ve been chasing for years.

Most of us, though, have been taught to think of joy as a by-product; something that comes after good days, favorable news, or exciting outcomes. Joy is good, and so we talk about joy like it’s a reward, an emotional response that depends on circumstances lining up just right. Because joy often feels fleeting, many of us end up chasing the idea of it. We don’t just want joy—we want to secure it and make it repeatable. Over time, that pursuit can turn into something else that separates us from the foundation of joy. The larger problem is that we have built an entire ideology around chasing joy and somehow, we still haven’t figured out the true source of joy.

Joy is not what you think

Joy is staple of a rich life. By rich, I don’t mean the accumulation of wealth and possessions that we often value. Scripture quietly but decisively flips that assumption on its head. Joy is not something we possess. Joy is who He is. God isn’t merely the author of joy, standing at a distance and dispensing it when conditions improve; He is the embodiment of it. Not just how you feel joy, but how you understand it and what it says about the very nature of God Himself.

Throughout scripture you have stories of joy that make this point clear. Think about the story of Zacchaeus when he climbed the tree just to see Jesus pass by. He wasn’t trying to be noticed. He simply wanted a glimpse. But when Jesus reached the tree, He stopped, looked up, and called him by name: “Zacchaeus, come down.” Scripture tells us that he made haste, and came down, and received Him joyfully (Luke 19:6).

Or consider the story of King David when the ark of the Lord was finally brought into Jerusalem. The ark represented the presence of God returning to the center of the people’s life. And when David saw it coming, Scripture tells us that David danced before the Lord with all his might (2 Samuel 6:14).In fact, when his wife questioned his uncontrollable joy, David responded, “I will celebrate before the Lord” (2 Samuel 6:21).

The truth is, most of us desire joy, and because we desire it, we go looking for it. So where do you find joy?

The answer is simple: you find it in Him. Seek Him, and you will find joy.

But here’s the part we often miss. Many of us begin searching for Jesus only when we feel lost, hoping that once we are found, joy will follow. We treat joy like something waiting at the end of the journey. Something that comes after clarity and direction, or when life starts making sense again. Yet Scripture shows us something different. When you are found by Jesus, joy is not waiting somewhere ahead of you. Joy is already standing right in front of you because “in His presence there is fullness of joy” (Psalm 16:11).

It feels like a contradiction at first. We search for joy as if it were a destination, when in reality it is a presence. Joy is not something Jesus hands out when everything is finally okay. Joy is not a bonus feature of the Christian life. Joy is who He is. He is the embodiment of it. And once you recognize that, it changes everything. So, if you want real happiness in your life, go and talk to the author of joy. He is not standing at a distance—He is right there with you. Speak to Him openly, and take time to listen when He speaks. Seek the inner peace that only He can provide, for it is in that peace that true joy is found.