7 Secrets to the Joy Found in Christian Living

1. Our Joy in Christ

We need to understand the difference between happiness and joy. Happiness depends upon a situation or pleasure—a result of something else. It is temporary and not something to build our lives upon. Happiness doesn’t give us strength. In fact, it proves empty.

God’s joy exists within himself. Therefore, this joy doesn’t rely upon any worldly situation or circumstance, nor can the world change or rattle it. We can’t manufacture or attain this joy, nor can we force God to impart it. God must give his joy willingly, and he does. God bestows joy upon us through our relationship with him.

For our part, we must come to God. Psalm 16:11 declares, “You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.” We find joy in God’s presence and promise of eternal life since he is true joy’s source. This joy enters our hearts through the Holy Spirit, and Galatians 5:22-23 lists joy as part of the fruit of the Spirit. Joy affirms God’s gift within us, manifesting in our lives when we walk in and with the Spirit.

We have unfettered access to this joy rooted in God’s character, love, power, and faithfulness. His joy transcends all circumstances, giving us strength. Let us come to him and lay hold of this joy he wants us to possess because he loves us.

Photo Credit:©GettyImages/Harvey Meston/Staff

2. God’s Love

God doesn’t share his joy with us because we deserve it. Since we are sinners, we never could. We must believe and understand that God greatly desires to give us this joy because he loves us. God’s love wants the eternal best for us, including the fullness of his joy.

The Father revealed how much he loved us through Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross and his resurrection. Romans 5:8 proclaims, “But God demonstrates his love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Despite our sins and our rebellion, God showed his love through Christ. We couldn’t earn this love, and we can’t lose it. This unchanging love brings us security. Psalm 36:7 assures us of God’s steadfast and abundant love: “How priceless is your unfailing love, O God! People take refuge in the shadow of your wings.” God’s love is a refuge and source of security, bringing comfort and joy.

Jesus also spoke about God’s desire to share eternal joy with us: “These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, that your joy may be full” (John 15:11). Jesus taught the love of the Father and the Kingdom of God to reveal the culture of heaven, including his joy. Jesus here calls it “my joy,” something which belongs to him. He shared this eternal joy through teaching eternal truth.

Photo Credit:©iStock/Getty Images Plus/Choreograph

3. God’s Character

None of God’s attributes exist apart from the others. God’s love means little if he can change or doesn’t have the power to do anything about it. His power becomes abusive if he’s not good. God’s joy interconnects with his peace, his omniscience, and more. To further understand his joy, we must recognize and experience all the attributes of God’s holy character. These attributes give us a firm foundation for faith and a source of great joy.

Psalm 145:17 declares, “The Lord is righteous in all his ways and faithful in all he does.” Because of God’s righteousness, we can depend on his unwavering faithfulness to his promises. This assurance increases our joy, knowing God is reliable in every way. Isaiah 40:28 proclaims, “Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.” This verse emphasizes God’s eternal nature and authority as the creator of all, helping us know his joy never wavers or fades.

As we meditate on the Father’s attributes, we align with the joy of heaven, which actively and continually praises God. And we begin to praise him, as well.

Photo Credit:©GettyImages/gustavofrazao

4. Develop Gratitude

We often lose sight of joy because chaos or a crisis has entered our lives. These circumstances take our attention from his presence. Entering his presence again and finding his joy begins with thankfulness. “Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name!” (Psalm 100:4)

1 Thessalonians 5:18 instructs us to give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for us in Christ Jesus. Because we have God, there are always reasons to be thankful, regardless of circumstance. We give thanks because he’s worthy of it. Psalm 118:1 proclaims, “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.”

God does want us to bring our issues and struggles to him in prayer, but thanksgiving aligns us with truth when we come before him. Philippians 4:6-7 encourages us to present our requests to God with thanksgiving, promising that the peace of God transcending all understanding will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Practicing gratitude alongside prayer cultivates peace and contentment, even amidst uncertainty or difficulty.

What should we thank him for? To begin with, what he’s already done for us.

Photo Credit:©GettyImages/AaronAmat

5. What God has Done

During Passover, Jews sing a common song with the phrase dayenu. Dayenu means “It would have been enough.” The Jews list God’s deeds through deliverance from Egyptian slavery (If you had brought us out of Egypt and not brought judgment), and after each, saying “Dayenu.” It would have been enough.

We find joy in recounting and reflecting upon what God has done for us in the past. By recalling his faithfulness, provision, and deliverance in our lives, we are reminded of His sovereignty and goodness, which fills our hearts with gratitude and joy.

Psalm 105:5 encourages us to remember the wonders God has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced. Reflecting on his past deeds encourages and inspires us. In Joshua 4:21-22, after the Israelites crossed the Jordan River, God instructed them to set up 12 stones to remind future generations of God’s faithfulness in parting the waters. Similarly, by commemorating the milestones of God’s faithfulness in our lives, we create spiritual markers that testify to his goodness and provision, filling us with gratitude and joy.

Psalm 77:11-12 expresses the psalmist’s resolve to remember the deeds of the Lord, his wonders of old, and to meditate on his works. We also do this intentionally because it gives us a deeper sense of trust and joy in his faithfulness.

Because while his past deeds may have been enough, and we don’t deserve more, the Father works (John 5:17), including his constant provision and sustaining of us today.

Photo Credit: Unsplash.com

6. What God is Doing

The same God who performed miracles in the past works on our behalf today. Despite our current circumstances and struggles, we find a secret to joy by recognizing how God continually works for us, providing our daily physical and spiritual needs. By acknowledging his ongoing care, we experience deep gratitude and joy in his goodness and faithfulness.

In Matthew 6:25-26, Jesus instructs us not to worry about their physical needs, such as food and clothing, because our heavenly Father knows what we need and will provide for us. We can be reassured regarding the Father’s daily provision, prompting us to trust him for everything. Philippians 4:19 affirms God’s promise to supply all our needs according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. As we are born again, becoming children of the King, we have access to our Father’s abundant resources, leading to security and joy.

Lamentations 3:22-23 declares, “Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Just like the manna, the bread of heaven, in the wilderness, God’s mercies and compassions renew every morning to sustain us physically and spiritually, filling our hearts with joy.

And since God is always working and never changes, he will continue to bless us in the future.

Photo Credit:©Getty Images Signature/CanvaPro 

7. What God Will Do

The same God who worked miracles in the past and works miracles today will do wonderful things in the future. He has graciously shared what he will do for us and all creation. Because of his character and love, we can embrace God’s future promises, including the hope of the resurrection, redemption, and eternal reward. These promises fill us with hope and anticipation, leading us to profound joy. By fixing our eyes on God’s promises, we are filled with hope and anticipation, which leads to a profound sense of joy and assurance in Him.

1 Peter 1:3-4 reminds us of the living hope we have through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and the inheritance that awaits us—an imperishable, undefiled, and unfading inheritance. The hope of the resurrection shapes our outlook on life and fills us with joyful expectation of the future glory awaiting us. Romans 8:18 echoes this sentiment, stating, “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.” We find joy in the assurance our current trials pale in comparison to the glory awaiting us in Christ.

Romans 8:33 further promises how all things work together for good for those who love God and are called according to his purpose. For us who walk in the Spirit, seek the Kingdom first, and love God above all, we can know all things, even our hard times, will be transformed for good in the end.

God lovingly and willingly offers us his joy, which gives us strength to endure and thrive even in difficult circumstances. We don’t naturally have this joy in ourselves. We must go to God to experience this joy, focusing on the Father’s love and character. Our thankfulness for who he is, what he has done, what he is doing, and his future promises increase our joy.

Peace.

Photo Credit:©iStock/Getty Images Plus/marekuliasz