"Spiritual joy has nothing to do with anything "going right". It has everything to do with things going, and going on within you. It's inherent, inner aliveness. Joy is almost entirely an inside job. Joy is not first determined by the object enjoyed as much as by the prepared eye of the enjoyer."
~Richard Rohr
Is there such a thing as sustainable joy? The kind that really lasts – that doesn't waiver in the midst of hurricane seasons and doesn't grow weathered in the daily mundane? Does this kind of joy even exist? This is a question I have pondered over and over in my mind, and the conclusion I've come to is so profound yet so simple:
Joy is the result of knowing what great a gift Salvation is, and living in personal relationship with the Saviour of the world. It is a life lived full to the brim of gratitude recognising what it is we have been saved from.
Don't allow yourself to be tricked into thinking that joy and happiness are not in any way the same thing. Happiness is a characteristic of joy, though it may not be its sum total. There are eternal principles about joy which go beyond immediate emotion.
The tension of the Now and Not Yet can leave us confused at times. We have been given access to this joy of Salvation, but there is still death and suffering in the world. We are in waiting of the salvation of creation. Among those desperate to see "Thy Kingdom Come" in its fullest and truest form. To see justice and love on the earth and truth made evident to all people.
Having been saved - being saved presently - and the time drawing near when we will be saved. This Salvation-joy is unshakable. It lives in the now and is hopeful and expectant for what is to come. Until that day comes let's be a people who live grateful for what we have been given, but also in joyful remembrance of what we have been saved from. The sustainability of joy is found in our gratitude for the grace and mercy we have received.
Joy is contagious // "The Lord is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving." Psalm 28:7 – Salvation-joy cannot be contained. It must be shared and overflows in abundance from the lives of those who receive it.
Joy is hopeful // "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13 – Salvation-joy looks beyond whatever situation it finds itself in and waits in anticipation of the salvation of creation.
Joy is from Holy Spirit // "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 – Salvation-joy is not something we strive for, but is something we receive from the Holy Spirit
Joy is founded in the Gospel // "but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people." Luke 2:10 – The greatest joy is found in the Saviour Himself.