Joy. Joy. Joy.

God Wants Us To Have Joy

I’ve thought over and over again words I’ve heard: “God wants holiness over happiness.”

And while God absolutely wants us to be holy and pursue holiness, (“but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy.'”; 1 Peter 1:15 -16) if you’re anything like I am, in the midst of hearing that saying time and time again, I have absolutely begun to think that joy is not a priority of God for us.

But, friends, it is. 

A few months ago, I heard Leslie Vernick teach on happiness, and it absolutely changed my perspective.

God wants joy for us. He commands joy.

He wants lasting joy — joy in pain type-of-joy, not only a happy-only-in-life-highs type-of-joy. But it is JOY. He’s not a depressing, only serious God.

In Psalm 98, the ENTIRE Psalm (and so many other Psalms, might I add) is about making a joyful noise.

Whether it’s because

  • “He has done marvelous things!” (v.1)
  • “His right hand and His holy arm have worked salvation” (v.1)
  • “The Lord has made known His salvation” (v.2)
  • “He has remembered His steadfast love and faithfulness” (v.3)
  • “He will judge the earth with righteousness, and the peoples with equity” (v.9)

… we are to “Make a joyful noise to the Lord” and “break forth into joyous song and sing praises.”

Who He is and what He has done and what He will do not only naturally bring out but also DEMAND joy from us.

And these truths absolutely can bring us joy.

When life is good, when life is hard, when doubts and negative, anxious thoughts and condemnation come flooding through, we can have joy because despite our circumstances and despite our minds and our hearts, the TRUTH and REALITY and FACTS of WHO HE IS and WHAT HE DOES can bring joy.

Joy and praise and bringing a joyful noise is so important to God that not only are we to break out in song but nature will do the same (Psalm 98:7-8).

Let’s join in with creation, allow ourselves to be free of feeling that God doesn’t want joy for us and embrace this truth.

 

Xo, 

Meg