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I asked Jesus Christ into my life when I was 15 years old. Most would have called me a happy child, despite some extremely difficult years. On receiving Christ, I was just so excited about forgiveness of sin. I was so ready to accept this unconditional gift of love from my heavenly Father, and it was with a longing heart that I would be part of the family of God ... so amazing! I've never been the same.

But one thing I was not prepared for was—to use the phrase that C.S. Lewis used at the time of his own conversion—I was SURPRISED BY JOY! It did not hit me all at once, but I clearly remember feeling like somehow, someone had shared with me the greatest secret ever known, and my heart, which used to ache inside my chest as a child, started to embrace a different set of values.

Joy is defined as 'a feeling of great happiness or pleasure, especially of an elevated or spiritual kind'. C.S. Lewis also wrote, and I quote, "I had no slightest hint that there ever had been or ever would be any connection between God and Joy. I had hoped that the heart of reality might be found in a place. Instead, I found it to be in a person, Jesus Christ."

John 15:9 says, "As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you. Now, remain in My love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in His love. I have told you this so that My joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete."

This joy that the word says is available to us is not found in any form of eastern religion or trance-like state. It does ignore the realities of life, but it does cling to a far greater fact than reality, better known as the TRUTH. If you are looking 'within yourself' for joy, you are looking in the wrong place. Joy is not a requirement to experience life in Christ, but rather, it is the thing you'll find chasing you down when living a life of faith and obedience. Isaiah 55 says that we WILL go out in joy, and break forth in peace; that the mountains and hills will burst into song before us ... that there will be fruitfulness, for the Lord's renown.

If you lost your strength, or even find it hard to stay enthused about life, then you need to find your joy. Nehemiah 8 says, "Grieve no more, for the joy of the Lord is your strength!" Isaiah 35 talks of “the joy of the redeemed ... that joy and gladness of heart will overtake us!” What a promise! Psalm 45:7 says we are “anointed with the oil of joy ... His enabling ... with a fullness of heart”— beautiful!

There are many enemies of joy: disappointment or fear of being disappointed, as you never let your heart fully go, just in case you get let down. But on the other side of that risk is the capacity that your heart was created for, which is to be filled with love and, hence, filled with a divine 'fullness of joy.' That is why the Word of God is so critical to our emotional well being, as we are encouraged to 'lift up our heads,' to open our hearts to all that Jesus died to give us. Even simply forgetting all that Jesus has done will quickly drown your joy in a sea of self-pity. The Scriptures warn us of forgetfulness. The Israelites are a great example. God continually rescues them, they celebrate and dance with great songs of joy and triumph, but only days later, they're complaining again. Around and around they go—40 years of forgetting to, as Psalm 16:11 puts it, “be filled with joy in His presence.”

HOW TO FIND AND KEEP YOUR JOY!

1. Obedience, Faith And Expectation!

Isaiah 58:13-14 says, "If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath, and from doing as you please on My holy day, if you call the Sabbath a delight and My holy day honorable, and you honor it by not going your own way and not speaking idle words ... THEN, you will find your joy in the Lord, and I will cause you to ride on the heights of the land and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob, the mouth of the Lord has spoken ..."

Is your hearts desire to obey the Lord? I tell you, there is no greater way to close your eyes at night, than knowing you have obeyed the Lord. The joy is quite inexpressible.

2. Simply ... Promote Peace!

Proverbs 12:20 says there is a “deceit in the hearts of those who plot evil, but joy for those who promote peace.”

3. Learn To Praise

When Job was at his all time lowest, his anguished soul cried out and said there was no longer a shout of joy heard in his land. In Lamentations, due to great disobedience, Jerusalem was faced with great desolation. Chapter 5 says, "The elders are gone from our city gates, the young men have stopped their music, JOY is gone from our hearts, our dancing has turned into mourning, the crown has fallen from our head."

If there is a lack of an understanding of the power of praise in the midst of a battle, there will also be a lack of joy.

4. You Must Worship Deliberately and Regularly!

The teachings contained within the Psalms are the greatest on turning your petitions into statements of praise. Praise is not only for when things are going great. In fact, the gold in praise is found when all hell is breaking loose! Psalm 27:6 reads, "Then my head will be exalted above the enemies who surround me, at His tabernacle will I sacrifice with SHOUTS OF JOY, I will sing and make music to the Lord!"

Psalm 47:5, "God has ascended amidst shouts of joy ... SHOUT FOR JOY AND GOD IS SEEN!"

People of praise are not pushovers. They are not the weak-willed, flowery people who are just nice and never get ruffled. NO! They know how to fight and what is worth fighting for. DON'T LET THE ENEMY STEAL YOUR JOY! Joy is your inheritance!

Joy is not dependant on our good luck at escaping hardship. Pain still comes, but it is unable to drive away the joy of the redeemed!

There is so much more I could say on this subject, but with all my heart I encourage you to TREASURE THE TRUTH, to TRUST IN THE LORD, to BE THANKFUL, to BE CREATIVE, to LEARN TO SMILE, and understand that this joy is not only for your benefit. ISAIAH 60 says, "Arise, shine ... nations will come to your light." Verse 5 says, "You will look and be radiant ... your heart will throb and swell with joy!" Verse 15 reads, "I will make you the everlasting pride and joy of all generations!" Isaiah 61:7 says, "Everlasting joy will be theirs." In Isaiah 65:14, we read, "My servants will sing out of the joy of their hearts!" And finally, Isaiah 66:6 says, "Let the Lord be glorified, that we may see your JOY!"

Live with passion and purpose!