Jesus is my savior.
That statement defines my life and every action I take, but I’ll be completely honest: It doesn’t always thrill me. More times than I care to admit, I could describe myself as mildly grateful for God’s love but certainly not jubilant or euphoric or ecstatic or [put your favorite synonym for “bursting with joy” here].
What can I say? Life has a way of stealing joy.
That’s not how it’s supposed to be. Yes, sometimes you have to work against your feelings. You show love to your brother even when you don’t feel loving. You worship God even when you’re down. But you shouldn’t settle for a lack of feeling.
It’s time to discover true Christian joy—what it is, where it’s found, and how it will change your life.
Hi, I’m Lauren Thell, author of Christian YA fiction and blogger for teens who are ready to exceed the world’s expectations.
In This Article
Where Can I Find Lasting Joy?
I was having a great day the other day. I stopped at the gas station to wash my car windows and the resulting cleanliness made me happy. One three-mile drive down our dusty road later, and my happiness tooka little ding when I saw the dust coating the rear windshield. I opened the mail to find a bill was miscalculated—another ding to my happiness. My internet service cut out partway through my research project. Another ding. My hair got snagged on my coat and I slammed a finger in a door. Ding, ding.
Do you find your joy fluctuating with the temperature? Your achievements and failures? Your relationships, your moods, your circumstances…
How can a person find lasting joy under these conditions—or any condition? The trick, as with anything you’re searching for, is to look in the right place.
What is the Difference Between Joy and Happiness?
Compassion International does the best job of summing up the marked difference between joy and happiness on its website:
“Joy is an inner feeling. Happiness is an outward expression. Joy endures hardship and trials and connects with meaning and purpose. A person pursues happiness but chooses joy.”
By these definitions, happiness is a feeling that comes and goes depending on circumstances but true joy can last even through a bad day. Or a bad year. It’s the difference between letting feelings dictate your life and trusting the truth no matter what.
True Joy is Not Found In…
Before we look at where you can find joy that lasts, let’s look at some common places people try—and fail—to find it:
- romance & marriage
- career & achievement
- material things
- friends
- travel & hobbies
- pursuit of knowledge
- a box of cookies
These elements may bring momentary happiness. (Who doesn’t get a rush of pleasure when plowing through a package of Oreos?) But lasting joy is another matter. When things go wrong—when the cookies run out, your car breaks down, your boyfriend dumps you, you get a poor grade on a test—happiness dwindles, and joy vanishes.
If you expect earthly sources to fulfill you, the quest for discovering true joy that lasts will become like searching for the lost city of Atlantis.
Seek God, Find Joy
“I seek you with all my heart. I have hidden your word in my heart. Praise be to you, Lord. I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches. I meditate on your precepts. I delight in your decrees.”
Psalm 119:10-16, in part
Can you imagine rejoicing in following God’s commands as much as you would if you discovered a trunk of gold coins amounting to millions of dollars? Wanting to abide by his directives instead of viewing them as drudgery?
Is that really possible?
True Christian joy goes deeper than simply believing in Jesus with a blasé attitude. It means truly taking to heart how much God loves you and letting that fill you up until you overflow with a gladness that cannot be taken from you. Suddenly, your earthly circumstances have little bearing on your mood. Other people’s opinions cease to dictate your worth. You find yourself singing even with dreary weather and a shoe full of slush.
And you want to follow the rules because they give you a chance to show your love in return. (Read What is God’s Love Language?)
This is true Christian joy, and greater bliss can be found nowhere else. This isn’t just true for Christians. Non-believers have no equivalent.
That’s Nice, But How Do You Discover True Christian Joy?
What is the secret to finding this amazing, filled-to-the-brim joy? And once you do, how do you keep it?
On your own, you can’t. That’s the first thing you must understand in order to take pleasure in God. You can create happiness over an amazing dessert or a romantic pursuit, but true joy in the Lord comes only from the Holy Spirit:
- But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace… -Galatians 5:22
- You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. -1 Thessalonians 1:6
- You did not choose me, but I chose you… -John 15:16
Before you get all down over how you have no control over it, stop right now and think about this. God is not waiting for you to generate this magnificent feeling all on your own. You don’t have to conjure up a sensation or go through any funky rituals to make it happen. He brings it to you.
All you have to do is pursue him.
1) Colossians 3: Set Your Mind on Things Above
For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.
Colossians 3:3
At first glance, Colossians 3 looks like a list of do’s and don’ts, and let’s be honest: We tend to view rules as negative. But how do you feel when a baseball player from the other team breaks a rule and the ump doesn’t call him on it?
Rules serve a purpose, and in Colossians 3 God makes that purpose clear. He wants you to be just like Jesus, holy and dearly loved. Discovering true joy means setting your sights above this earthly life and pursuing God. Throw off your laziness (I’m speaking to myself as well) and take up a life of discipline as one preparing for a race.
2) John 15:1-17: Stay in His Love
I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.
John 15:11
John 15:1-17 can be summed up in three bullet points:
- Jesus loves you
- You are a part of him
- Your joy will be complete if you stay in his love
It can’t be made any more clear than that. Complete, eternal joy comes only through Christ. Until you realize you are a part of a bigger whole, you will never find lasting joy.
3) Luke 10:1-24: Embrace Your Eternal Future
Rejoice that your names are written in heaven.
Luke 10:20
Luke 10:1-24 is where Jesus sent out a big group of evangelists to spread the word. He didn’t promise for it to be a pleasant experience, rather he told them to focus on the end. Never forget to rejoice in your salvation. Nothing that happens on earth can take that away from you. Come failure, loss, illness, or all manner of evil, your name will remain in the Book of Life.
4) Jeremiah 29:13: Seek God And He Shall Be Found
You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
Jeremiah 29:13
The pursuit of God is not some sick hide-and-seek game he likes to play with helpless earthlings. God promises if you go looking for him in earnest, you will find him:
- …anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. -Hebrews 11:6
- If you seek him, he will be found by you… -1 Chronicles 28:9 and 2 Chronicles 15:2
No need to look under the bed like a child clearing out monsters before bedtime. And you don’t have to climb Everest to find him. You don’t even have to take a trip to the Holy Land. He’s right there on your nightstand or shoved into your overcrowded bookshelf in a book known as the Bible.
If you want to find God, you have to open your Bible! Meditate on his words, pursue him in persistent prayer, and God will make himself known to you. (See: Seeking Jesus: How to Get Closer to God Right Now.)
This is the critical step toward discovering true joy. It won’t happen overnight, but the more time you spend with him, the more you’ll find your heart turning toward delight in your Lord.
Related: Seek the Lord and He Will Be Found By You
Pursue Relentlessly
“Come, all you who are thirsty. Listen, listen to me, and you will delight in the richest of fare. Give ear and come to me. Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near. As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, so is my word: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire.
You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace.”
from Isaiah 55
The legendary pirates of yore didn’t spend one day looking for a chest of treasure only to give up when they couldn’t find it. They searched, pursued, fought, conquered, and searched some more until they found what they were looking for. And they delighted in it when they found it.
The legendary pirates didn’t spend one day looking for a chest of treasure only to give up when they couldn’t find it.
It’s time to tap into your inner pirate because what you’re looking for is worth so much more and offers so much more in the way of true joy. Like the psalmist, you will rejoice in your Lord as one rejoices in great riches, and even more so. Seek and pray and don’t give up! God wants you to hold him to his promises, and he doesn’t want you to limp by on mediocre faith.
Seek God, find true joy, and take pleasure in Christ.
More Bible Passages to Help You Find Lasting Joy:
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
Philippians 4:4
More Resources For Discovering True Joy
You don’t have to have all the answers.
But, hey, why not?
Bring me your questions about faith, life, God, the Bible… and I’ll help you find the answers.
- How to fulfill your greatest desires: Desiring God As The Ultimate Source of Pleasure
- Prayer: Why Should I Pray? The Remarkable Privilege of Prayer
- Fellowship with other Christians: Why Young Christians Absolutely Need to Go to Church
- Choosing a joyful mindset: Change Your Thought Patterns: The Dangerous Rut
- Joyless Christianity Is Dangerous (from DesiringGod.org)