Joy that lasts is hard to find, and even harder to keep.
I was having a great day the other day. I stopped at the gas station to wash the salt and dirt off my car windows, and the resulting cleanliness made me happy. Then I drove down our three-mile dirt road and looked back to find the rear windshield coated in dust again, and my happiness took a little ding. I opened the mail to find a bill that was miscalculated. Another ding to my happiness. My internet service cut out part way 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? Or your achievements and failures? Or 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 in looking in the right place.
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
What’s the difference between joy and happiness?
Compassion International does the best job of summing up the marked differences between the two 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 upon the circumstances in your life, but true joy can last even through a bad day. Or a bad year. This one blog post will not end your quest for lasting joy. My hope is for it to serve as a compass to point you down the right path, as well as to point you away from the deceptive paths that might lead you away from joy.
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 joy that lasts will become like the search for the lost city of Atlantis.
Fortunately, God desires for you to be filled with joy, and he spells out very clearly where to find it.
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, this section of the Bible looks like a list of do’s and don’ts, and let’s be honest: We tend to view rules as a negative thing. But consider how rules might actually be a blessing. Do you like to play sports? If you think rules are a hindrance, then you’ve never sat at a ball game where a 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 joy that lasts 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.
The guidelines laid out in Colossians 3 are the prefect starting point.
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
This passage of the Bible 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.
Luke 10:1-24: Embrace your future—your eternal future.
Rejoice that your names are written in heaven.
Luke 10:20
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.
That is reason to be filled with 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.
More Bible Passages to Help You Find Lasting Joy:
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
Philippians 4:4
More Ways to Pursue Joy That Lasts:
- 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