Another important quality God wants to see in our lives is joy and gladness. Gladness in my life will make me more like Jesus, and that is who I should become. “Jesus, Man of Joy,” is how someone once described Him so beautifully.
God blesses us with circumstances that bring gladness into our lives. True gladness, however, is not found in the circumstances themselves, but in their Source. Joy is also found when we live out God’s Word and trust the promises He gives us in it. The psalmist declares this truth with great confidence in Psalm 16, under the heading “In the Lord is joy”. In the Old Testament, people often responded to God’s blessings with joyful celebrations. The annual Feast of Tabernacles especially gave the Israelites an opportunity to celebrate God’s goodness.
In the same way, Jesus’ disciples found joy in dark times as they prepared for His death. A few hours before His crucifixion, Jesus assured His disciples that their sorrow would soon turn to joy—within three days, to be exact (John 16:20)—because Jesus would rise from the dead. The apostle Paul wrote a joyful letter while chained in prison. In this passionate letter to the church in Philippi, Paul finds joy in Christ. He finds joy regardless of his circumstances. He even sees his imprisonment as a blessing because it helps spread the gospel. Like Paul, Peter teaches Christians scattered throughout Asia that believers can have joy regardless of their circumstances.
The same is true for believers today, because Peter says in 1 Peter 1:6: “You can rejoice greatly in this, even though many trials may cause you to suffer for a little while.” Trials reveal the genuineness of faith. In this way, our faith is tested, and when it passes the test, it results in praise and glory to Jesus—and ultimately in joy and gladness because of Jesus in my life.
Yes, it is important to remember: joy and gladness are found in Jesus Christ alone—often in spite of difficult circumstances.
Written by Hendrik Nel