The Reach of Joy - 12/17/2023

Joy can often feel out of reach. For some, sorrow has become a close friend, and having joy seems near impossible. However, there is no denying that the Bible tells us we can have joy. The Bible tells us that joy isn't even circumstantially based. "The Man of Sorrows," Jesus Christ had joy. He often demonstrated Paul's words in Philippians 3:13-14 when he says, "One thing I do is forgetting what lies behind, and reaching forward to what lies ahead I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus" (Jn 4:31-35; Jn 12:23; Jn. 13:31; 14:1-2; 16:7; 16:32; 17:1-8).

A recent study out of Drake University closely relates happiness with mindset. What is interesting about this is that when you look at the MindVue Profile (which measures various mindset skills). Mindset skills can all be found in the Bible. Paul often speaks of mindset, including in this passage. As we continue to strive forward in our sanctification, our mindset becomes healthier, and we find that the joy we need, that Paul tells us to have, and that Jesus speaks of in the Beatitudes (Mt. 5:12) is very much in the reach of every believer. We must not conform to the patterns of this world; instead, we reach for joy while looking forward and upward in the power of the resurrection.