What Is Joy?

In a blog called The Joyful Follower somewhere along the line it is good to explain what biblical joy is. One of the best definitions I have heard comes from Sam Storms in his February 1, 2010 sermon titled “For Your Joy,” preached at the Desiring God Pastor’s Conference.  Storms affirmed, "Joy is a deep durable delight in the splendor of God that ruins you for anything else."

As Sam continued in this powerful message he clarified this is not a passive joy or one that leads to a monastic life. Instead, he explained:

It is a joy that stokes the white-hot passion for the nations of the earth and for the lost...that energizes the will of a man or a woman to persevere in a [bad] marriage and not throw in the towel. This is a deep delight and joy in the all-satisfying beauty of Christ that empowers the human heart to overcome addictive behavior, to sustain the soul in its fight against temptation. This is a deep delight in the all-satisfying beauty of Christ that enables a weak and broken soul to persevere when a job is lost or a child rebels or a dream is shattered. It is a deep delight and joy in the all-satisfying beauty of Christ that encourages the fearful and timid heart to engage a lost world and a corrupt world with the good news of the gospel. It is a deep delight and joy in the all-satisfying beauty of Christ that will sustain a church through the loss of numbers and financial strain and to bind the hearts of its people together in unity and love and affection. It is a deep delight and joy in the all-satisfying beauty of Christ that alone will strengthen the soul of the pastor [against difficult circumstances and disappointments].

O, Lord, we praise you for giving us this kind of joy in Christ, we thank you this joy will be our eternal reward in your presence (Psalm 16:11), and we pray that we might be “fellow workers” for the joy of others (2 Corinthians 1:24)!  We know this is at the heart of being a joyful follower of you!