Joy is like a diamond. It’s like the saying a diamond in the rough. At least for me. Hard to uncover and precious to hang onto.

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I’m honestly struggling this December to be excited about anything. I don’t really want to do anything and would like to sleep, but the other side of my brain remembers I don’t like to just sleep so I stay up late and can’t focus on anything (like reading).

It’s December 20th and I’m not ready for Christmas. I thought the first week of December, going to parties and getting into a mood would help, but time and circumstances quickly changed. With each passing day, we’ve crept close to the big days of the year – Christmas and Christmas Eve – and while I’m not ready as far as gifts go, I also haven’t been ready to have another holiday that doesn’t feel the same as it used to.

I don’t know what my plans are in a few days, but I’d like to stay home and spend time with God if I have an option.

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It’s hard to find joy when you’re surrounded by chaos, but it’s easier to encounter joy when your focus is on the one who provides it.

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A couple weeks ago, an author I follow shared a tidbit about finding joy, and now I can’t find the post. The gist of it was that we can sit and feel bad about ourselves and how life hasn’t turned out the way we want – why God hasn’t blessed us with what we wanted all these years, etc. – or we can have joy in where He has us right now. She said it in a better way that resonated with me, and I so wanted to share that nugget of wisdom!

This past Sunday, our advent sermon on joy was timely as well. Jesus is the source of joy. He made Himself known to us so that we might know Him and others might as well. We were given four reasons to follow Jesus given in John 5:1-11.

• Joy of life – looking at His vine metaphor (I am the vine, apart from me you can do nothing), those who are dead in sin will be cut off, but even those that are healthy and alive still get pruned. We find joy in pruning still.
• Joy of fruit – “apart from me you can do nothing” means to us that no fruit will come from our “work” if we are not doing so in Christ. Just as our strength comes from the Lord, if we are not doing His will, what are we working towards?
• Joy in relationship – abide in Him and seek Him first. Our number one relationship and priority should be alignment with Christ and so often this takes a back burner in our lives, unfortunately. All the other pieces fall off when this is not centered.
• Joy of obedience – “if you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love.” Obedience isn’t restrictive as some say. Going our own way and doing something contrary to God’s way doesn’t spark joy, but shame and regret soon follow anyway. When we choose obedience, we choose joy.

In all these things, the most important is the reminder to seek first the kingdom of God and staying as aligned as possible with His truth and His way.

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So maybe joy is hard to find on earth, but we weren’t told that joy was earthly. We’re not of this world, and neither is our joy. Joy can be found when we look up to the Creator.

I pray you and I both encounter the joy of the season, if you hadn’t already! 🙂