Faith & Insight: I want something better than happiness for you

I want something better than happiness for you. Happiness will not last or even be guaranteed. I want you to have joy. The difference between joy and happiness has been on my mind lately.

As my life continues to change, I’ve seen that joy is concrete and does not diminish in life’s seasons. One friend described joy as a place, and happiness as a feeling.

Happiness fades when the sun sets at 4 p.m., or when our life is going poorly, or when we look around and see suffering in the world. If we can find a source of joy that is greater than us, it will never fade. I want you to have joy.

Let’s consider the story of Mary, the mother of Jesus, in the gospel of Luke. This newly-pregnant young woman has been told that God is going to do the impossible through her, and that her relative Elizabeth is also miraculously pregnant. She goes to see Elizabeth, and Mary’s arrival allows them both to experience joy!

First, Elizabeth receives joy from God. I want you to know that the God of the Christians is excellent, and one of the things he does is give good gifts. We can ask God for joy, even when our lives are falling apart. Consider asking God to reveal himself to you and to give you joy this upcoming week.

Second, Mary receives joy because she has believed God. Elizabeth says, “blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.” What Mary is going to experience – the birth of Jesus – is impossible without God. But because she takes God at his word, she is blessed!

Mary rejoices and breaks into song because she is dramatically changed. Her view of life is forever impacted because she believes what God has said. Likewise, God gives us Jesus and says that all who follow him are declared good and are forever changed.

Believing in Jesus and following him gives you joy because you can never look at anything the same way ever again. When you trust God’s words, you can have joy because you’re standing before God and man is determined by God, not your circumstances.

Finally, Mary finds joy in what God is going to do in the world through Jesus. He’s going to heal the sick, humble the proud, and feed the hungry. She’s not naive – she’s not saying that it has already happened. However, she knows that Jesus’ birth means that God is over human history, and she can rejoice and participate in God’s new kingdom, even before it arrives.

Followers of God see a broken world, but they know this isn’t how the story ends. So, they declare the love of God through Jesus and live like his kingdom is already here by caring for the poor and turning from pride. And they’re filled with joy.

May you receive from God grace, salvation, hope, and as a result – joy!

Gavin Jarvis is lead pastor at Living Stones Church.