Being Fully Alive: The Holiness of Joy

Jesus once described his mission with these extraordinary words: “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly” (John 10:10).

Not merely existence.

Not simply survival.

Life. Abundant life.

Yet somewhere along the way, many of us learned to think about Christianity primarily in terms of what happens after we die. 

But Jesus spent remarkably little time describing heaven. Instead, he taught people how to live. He gathered around tables. He attended weddings. He noticed flowers and birds. He welcomed children, touched people others avoided, challenged injustice, shared meals with unlikely companions, withdrew into silence, wept with grieving friends, and celebrated when lost things were found.

Jesus was fully present to life.

Perhaps following him means learning to become fully alive ourselves.

This week we'll explore five dimensions of the abundant life: joy, creativity, play, gratitude for the one life we've been given, and the practice of becoming fully present to each day.

And we'll begin today by talking about the holiness of joy.  

For most of us, when we hear the word "holy," we don't think about joy; we think about seriousness, rule-keeping, unattainable saintliness.  We associate holiness with faithfulness, discipleship, suffering and all kinds of things that seem devoid of joy.  

Faithfulness means sacrifice. Discipleship requires commitment. Life involves suffering. All of that is true.

But somewhere in our seriousness, we can forget that Jesus also talked an awful lot about joy.

Even on the night before his death, Jesus told his disciples, “I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete” (John 15:11).

His joy.

Not merely endurance. Not grim determination. Joy.

Scripture repeatedly connects joy with God's presence. The psalmist declares, “In your presence there is fullness of joy” (Psalm 16:11). Nehemiah tells a weary people that “the joy of the Lord is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10).

Joy is not the denial of suffering. Jesus could weep at Lazarus' tomb and celebrate at a wedding feast. The two belong together.

Perhaps that is what makes Christian joy so powerful. It does not require pretending everything is wonderful. It is the stubborn conviction that pain is never the whole story.

Sometimes joy arrives dramatically. More often, it appears quietly.

A friend's laughter.

A child's ridiculous joke.

A favorite song.

Sunlight coming through the window.

The way our dog makes us smile every day. 

A meal shared with people we love.

We can rush past these moments because they don't seem particularly spiritual.

But what if they are?

What if delight is one way God reminds us that our brief, precious life is good?

Today, pay attention to whatever makes you smile. Don't analyze it. Don't apologize for it. Don't rush past it.

Receive it.

Enjoy it.

Give thanks for it.

Joy is not a distraction from the spiritual life. Joy is part of what it means to be fully alive.

Prayer

God of joy, open my eyes to the goodness scattered throughout this day. Keep me from becoming so burdened by life's seriousness that I forget how to delight in your gifts. Teach me to laugh freely, celebrate generously, and receive joy without guilt. Even in difficult seasons, remind me that sorrow never has the final word. Amen.

Reflection Questions

1. What has brought you genuine joy recently?
2. Why do you think we sometimes have difficulty receiving joy as a spiritual gift?
3. How could you intentionally make room for joy today?