Joy

Joy!  Seriously, define joy for me!  Well, let me tell you how our world defines it:  new cars, good food, good drinks, money, and yes, even family time.  Just look at the ads on television, and you will find a million people explaining why the newest thing they have acquired brings them joy.  Joy is also shown by people enjoying a vacation or a time of relaxation--not to mention that joy is also Christmas, presents, and family time.  Honestly, some of the most stressful times are said to be joyful; yet, as Christians, we know that Jesus gives Joy, so what does that mean?

As a boy, I remember adding up every dollar I was going to make by mowing lawns.  I also figured out how many MLB hats I was going to have at the end of the summer.  I just liked so many of the logos and thought the hats would make a joyful statement.

During my high school summers I woke up at 5 a.m. to take my 108-pound body up to a cold weight room to lift weights.   Yes, skinny little Will, who barely weighed more than the bars did, regularly went to the weight room.  It was all for the anticipated joy of making the public school basketball team, which I did not make.  When I moved to Lutheran High School I loved being on the JV team, but I thought I would find even more joy being on the varsity team.  However, I found most of my days sitting on the bench!

In college I was waiting for the day when I was going to be married.  I felt like marriage and ministry would be my true joy.  I spent hours concerned about the person I would marry.  And the list goes on, but doesn’t it for all of us?  Look back at how much time we waste seeking the joy we presumed we would find through things, ideas, programs, institutions, and whatever else you want to mention.

This weekend we talk about joy.  How do we find real joy?  Where did the wisest man who ever lived find joy?  So we will examine the concept of joy—something we all want, but have failed in trying to find it.